International Paper (IP Quick QuoteIP - Free Report) reported $6.2 billion in revenue for the quarter ended September 2026, representing a year-over-year decline of 0.4%. EPS of $0.37 for the same period compares to -$0.43 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.35 billion, representing a surprise of -2.35%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +23.33%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.30.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how International Paper performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Net Sales- Packaging Solutions North America: $3.88 billion compared to the $3.91 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -0.5% year over year.
• Net Sales- Packaging Solutions EMEA: $2.28 billion compared to the $2.4 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -1.3% year over year.
• Net Sales- Corporate and Inter-segment: $37 million versus $20.09 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +164.3% change.

View all Key Company Metrics for International Paper here>>>

Shares of International Paper have returned +0.2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.2% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.