Richard Sloan from the University of Michigan was first to document what is referred to as the "accrual anomaly". His 1996 paper found that shares of companies with small or negative accruals vastly outperform (+10%) those of companies with large ones.
International Paper Co's Sloan Ratio for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was -14.56%.
As of Mar. 2026, International Paper Co has a Sloan Ratio of -14.56%, indicating there is a warning stage of accrual build up.
International Paper Co (XSWX:IP) Sloan Ratio % Explanation
A former University of Michigan researcher, Richard Sloan's 1996 paper found that shares of companies with small or negative accruals vastly outperform (+10%) those of companies with large ones. In fact, for the 40-year period between 1962 and 2001, buying the lowest accrual companies and shorting the highest accrual companies resulted in an average annual compounded return of 18%, more than double the S&P 500's 7.4% annual return over the same period.
If the Sloan Ratio is between -10% and 10%, the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
If the Sloan Ratio is less than between -25% and -10% on the negative side, and between 10% and 25% on the positive side, this is a warning stage of accrual build up.
If the Sloan Ratio is less than -25% or greater than 25%, and this ratio is consistent over several quarters or even years, be careful. Earnings are highly likely to be made up of accruals.
As of Mar. 2026, International Paper Co has a Sloan Ratio of -14.56%, indicating there is a warning stage of accrual build up.
International Paper Co Sloan Ratio % Related Terms
International Paper Co Sloan Ratio % Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
XSWX:IP vs AMCR, PKG, BALL: Sloan Ratio % Comparison
For the Packaging & Containers subindustry, International Paper Co's Sloan Ratio %, along with its competitors' market caps and Sloan Ratio % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
International Paper Co Sloan Ratio % vs Packaging & Containers Industry
For the Packaging & Containers industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, International Paper Co's Sloan Ratio % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where International Paper Co's Sloan Ratio % falls into.
Earnings contain a lot of non cash earnings which is called accruals. The Sloan ratio is a way to identify firms with low non-cash or accrual-derived earnings relative to their cash flow.
International Paper Co's Sloan Ratio for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as
International Paper Co's Net Income for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was 60.99 (Jun. 2025 ) + -877.302 (Sep. 2025 ) + -1899.81 (Dec. 2025 ) + 47.238 (Mar. 2026 ) = CHF-2,669 Mil.
International Paper Co's Cash Flow from Operations for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was 387.083 (Jun. 2025 ) + 481.64 (Sep. 2025 ) + 721.195 (Dec. 2025 ) + 481.04 (Mar. 2026 ) = CHF2,071 Mil.
International Paper Co's Cash Flow from Investing for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was -223.63 (Jun. 2025 ) + -350.284 (Sep. 2025 ) + -435.107 (Dec. 2025 ) + 444.825 (Mar. 2026 ) = CHF-564 Mil.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
International Paper Co (XSWX:IP) has a Sloan Ratio % of -14.56% as of Mar. 2026. Sloan ratio measures earnings quality based on the amount of accruals. View historical data on International Paper Co and its competitors.
Is International Paper Co's Sloan Ratio % too high?
International Paper Co's current Sloan Ratio % is -14.56%. Overall, International Paper Co has a GF Score™ of 63/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does International Paper Co's Sloan Ratio % compare to AMCR and PKG?
International Paper Co's Sloan Ratio % of -14.56% can be compared against companies in the Packaging & Containers industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Sloan Ratio % for a Packaging & Containers company?
A good Sloan Ratio % depends on the Packaging & Containers industry context. However, Sloan Ratio % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Sloan Ratio % mean?
A high Sloan Ratio % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Sloan ratio measures earnings quality based on the amount of accruals. View historical data on International Paper Co and its competitors. International Paper Co's current Sloan Ratio % is -14.56%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is International Paper Co stock overvalued right now?
International Paper Co (XSWX:IP) has a current Sloan Ratio % of -14.56%. The stock's GF Value™ is CHF34.97, compared to a current price of CHF30.68 — trading 12.3% below its estimated fair value. The current Sloan Ratio % is -14.56%. International Paper Co's overall GF Score™ is 63/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Sloan Ratio % calculated?
Sloan Ratio % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For International Paper Co (XSWX:IP), the current Sloan Ratio % is -14.56% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is International Paper Co (XSWX:IP) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, International Paper Co stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of CHF30.68 is trading 12.3% below its estimated GF Value™ of CHF34.97.
Key valuation signals for XSWX:IP:
Sloan Ratio %: -14.56%
GF Value™: CHF34.97 vs. price of CHF30.68 (12.3% below fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the XSWX:IP stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
International Paper manufactures packaging products. It accounts for roughly one-third of the North American corrugated packaging market. The company also has a substantial presence in Europe following its acquisition of DS Smith. International Paper serves a variety of end markets, including industrial, consumer products, and manufacturing.
63GF Score
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Sloan Ratio % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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