International Paper Beats Profit Estimates but Misses on Revenue

Shares were down 4.5 per cent at $31.88 in pre-market trading, and the company will stop giving European packaging guidance.

International Paper reported third-quarter earnings of $0.37 per share, $0.08 above expectations. Revenue came in at $6.20 billion, below the $6.46 billion expected. Shares were down 4.5 per cent at $31.88 in pre-market trading, before the market opened.

Chairman and chief executive Andy Silvernail said North America improved on cost cuts and higher prices, while European markets remained soft. For the fourth quarter of 2026, the company expects operating profit of $460 million to $500 million for its Packaging Solutions North America segment. It expects adjusted EBITDA, a measure of earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, of $700 million to $740 million.

For full-year 2026, the company expects Packaging Solutions North America operating profit of $1.3 billion to $1.4 billion, and adjusted EBITDA of $2.27 billion to $2.31 billion.

International Paper will no longer include guidance for its Packaging Solutions EMEA segment and does not expect to give it in future. The company is preparing to separate its European packaging business into an independent company, DS Smith plc. With European guidance gone, North America is the only segment with a numeric outlook, at a time when the company says its European markets are still soft.