Equity
Retained Earnings
International Paper Retained Earnings decreased by 3.8% to $4.70B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric declined by 48.0%, from $9.04B to $4.70B. Over 5 years (FY 2020 to FY 2025), Retained Earnings shows a downward trend with a -9.6% CAGR. This decline may warrant attention — for this metric, higher values are generally preferred.
Analysis
StatementBalance Sheet Statement
SectionEquity
CategoryProfitability
SignalHigher is better
VolatilityStable
First reportedQ4 2014
Last reportedQ1 2026May 5, 2026
How to read this metric
An increase signals strong historical profitability and reinvestment, while a decrease may indicate losses or significant dividend payouts.
Detailed definition
This represents the cumulative net income earned by the company since its inception, minus any dividends paid to shareho...
Peer comparison
A key metric for all established companies; growth rates are compared against peers to gauge long-term success.
Metric ID:
retained_earningsHistorical Data
20 periods
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $8.44B | $9.10B | $9.03B | $9.22B | $9.56B | $10.34B | $9.86B | $9.87B | $9.94B | $9.94B | $9.49B | $9.39B | $9.72B | $9.71B | $9.39B | $9.04B | $8.87B | $7.52B | $4.89B | $4.70B |
| QoQ Change | — | +7.8% | -0.8% | +2.1% | +3.7% | +8.2% | -4.7% | +0.1% | +0.7% | +0.0% | -4.5% | -1.1% | +3.5% | -0.1% | -3.2% | -3.8% | -1.9% | -15.2% | -35.0% | -3.8% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +13.2% | +13.6% | +9.1% | +7.0% | +4.0% | -3.9% | -3.7% | -4.9% | -2.2% | -2.3% | -1.0% | -3.7% | -8.8% | -22.5% | -48.0% | -48.0% |
Range$4.70B – $10.34B
CAGR-11.6%
Avg YoY Growth-6.4%
Median YoY Growth-3.0%
Current Streak7 quarters decline
Retained Earnings at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is International Paper's retained earnings?
- International Paper (IP) reported retained earnings of $4.70B in Q1 2026.
- How has International Paper's retained earnings changed year-over-year?
- International Paper's retained earnings decreased by 48.0% year-over-year, from $9.04B to $4.70B.
- What is the long-term trend for International Paper's retained earnings?
- Over 5 years (2020 to 2025), International Paper's retained earnings has grown at a -9.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $8.07B to $4.89B.
- What does retained earnings mean?
- The total accumulated profits the company has kept and reinvested rather than paying out as dividends.