Is International Paper Company (IP) Among the Top Commodity Producers With the Highest Upside Potential?
We recently compiled a list of the Top 15 Commodity Producers With the Highest Upside Potential. In this article, we are going to take a look at where International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) stands against the other Commodity Producer stocks.
Commodity producer stocks are shares of publicly listed firms that produce, explore, or distribute commodities. These businesses are frequently interested in metals, mining, agriculture, and energy. Commodity producer stocks are chosen by investors to obtain exposure to both the equity and commodities markets, potentially profiting from heightened interest in either.
The commodity market is booming. According to a research report, the size of the global commodity services market was projected at $3.56 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.65% from 2025 to 2034, from $3.87 billion in 2025 to roughly $8.16 billion by 2034. Regionally, the commodity services industry is dominated by North America, while Asia Pacific is projected to grow at a quick pace.
However, the World Bank's April 2025 Commodity Markets Outlook projects that global commodity prices will plummet, falling 12% in 2025 and further 5% in 2026 to their lowest level since 2020. The anticipated drop is being driven by slowing global economic growth and persistently high oil supply. This decline carries risks to economic growth in developing countries, with two-thirds likely to see setbacks, even though it may reduce short-term price pressures associated with rising trade barriers. Notwithstanding the drop, nominal prices will still be higher than they were before the pandemic.
Ayhan Kose, the World Bank Group's Deputy Chief Economist and Director of the Prospects Group, stated:
'Commodity prices have whipsawed throughout the 2020s—plummeting with arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, then surging to record highs after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and then sinking again,' said Ayhan Kose, the World Bank Group's Deputy Chief Economist and Director of the Prospects Group. 'In an era of geopolitical tensions, surging demand for critical minerals, and more frequent natural disasters, that could become the new normal. Successfully navigating through repeated commodity prices swings will require developing economies to build fiscal space, strengthen their institutions, and improve investment climates to facilitate job creation.'
On the other hand, Morgan Stanley, on February 21, highlighted that 2025 is anticipated to be a crucial year for commodity markets, influenced by supply fundamentals, inflation patterns, and dollar fluctuations. Inflation in the United States is still high, falling short of the Federal Reserve's 2% target in December with headline CPI readings of 2.9% and core CPI readings of 3.2%. After the U.S. presidential election, policy changes—particularly related to immigration, deficits, and tariffs—have raised inflation expectations. According to data from the University of Michigan, they rose from 2.8% to 3.3% in just one month. Commodity prices have generally been supported by these conditions.
Since late September, the U.S. dollar has risen by almost 8%, in part because of growing interest rates and policy expectations. Global demand for commodities is usually pressured by a strong dollar, but if the currency stabilizes or depreciates, it may eliminate a significant obstacle. Although recent contango suggests sufficient short-term supply, a yield-adjusted perspective reveals markets in backwardation at about 4%, showing ongoing physical tightness. This suggests that inventories for essential commodities remain low, making the market more susceptible to demand shocks. Commodity performance in 2025 is supported by tight supply, high inflation, as well as potential dollar weakness.
A close-up view of a hand assembling boxes of industrial packaging on an assembly line.
To collect data for this article, we examined companies operating in the commodity sector and then compiled a list of the stocks with the highest upside potential according to Wall Street analysts, as of May 1, 2025. To keep our list relevant, we have only included companies with a market cap of $10 billion and above. The following are the Commodity Producers with the Highest Upside Potential.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).
Analysts' Upside Potential as of May 01: 25.75%
International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) produces cellulose fibers and packaging products. It accounts for approximately one-third of the North American corrugated packaging market. Although it operates in China, India, and Brazil, North America accounts for over three-quarters of its sales. The firm caters to various end markets, such as manufacturing, consumer goods, and industrial. The stock surged by more than 26% in the past year, making it one of the Best Commodity Stocks.
International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) produces cellulose fibers and packaging items. It accounts for approximately one-third of the North American corrugated packaging market. Despite having businesses throughout Europe, North America accounts for more than three-quarters of its sales. Although the business has been able to boost pricing and margins due to ten years of consolidation in the corrugated packaging market, recent years have seen a decline in profitability due to growing costs and more intense competition.
International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) announced first-quarter revenue growth of 28% YoY. Nonetheless, the quarter's packaging demand was hindered by the potential impact of tariffs and economic uncertainties. Softer demand is still a challenge, although higher selling prices, mostly in North America, were able to offset this. Since practically all of its packaging is made and marketed in the same region, and because its inputs are all obtained locally, the company has no direct exposure to tariffs. However, a slowdown in consumer spending or the growth of the global gross domestic product could have a huge impact on volumes; thus, the company is exposed to indirect effects.
Nevertheless, International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) is still following its 80/20 approach, which involves cutting expenses in its legacy network and has now started to do the same with DS Smith. This should help margins in the face of a downturn in volume.
ClearBridge Mid Cap Strategy stated the following regarding International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) in its Q1 2025 investor letter:
'We exited our position in chemical manufacturer Ashland. We redeployed the proceeds to relatively new holding International Paper Company (NYSE:IP), which we believe represents a strong turnaround story under the leadership of a new CEO and his plan to optimize its footprint, adjust pricing dynamics and improve margins over the next few years.'
Overall, IP ranks 12th on our list of the Top Commodity Producers With the Highest Upside Potential. While we acknowledge the potential of IP as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than IP but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this .
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
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