International Paper Completes the Sale of Its Brazilian Corrugated Packaging Business

Highlights - Nine Months Ended March 31, 2022 • Net sales of $10,635 million, up 13%; • GAAP Net Income of $696 million, up 2%; GAAP earnings per share (EPS) of 45.6 cents per share, up 4%; • Increasing returns to shareholders: quarterly dividend increased to 12.0 cents per share; $600 million ofshare repurchases expected in fiscal 2022; RoAFE increased to 16%; and • Fiscal 2022 outlook for adjusted EPS growth raised to 9.5-11% on a comparable constant currency basis(previously 7-11%). Adjusted Free Cash Flow of approximately $1.1 billion.

Packaging Corporation of America reported first quarter 2021 net income of $167 million, or $1.75 per share, and net income of $169 million, or $1.77 per share, excluding special items. First quarter net sales were $1.8 billion in 2021 and $1.7 billion in 2020. Reported earnings in the first quarter of 2021 include special items for closure costs related to certain corrugated products facilities and specific costs related to discontinuing paper operations associated with the previously announced conversion of the No. 3 paper machine at our Jackson, Alabama mill to linerboard. In the Packaging segment, total corrugated products shipments with one less workday were up 6.6%, and shipments per day were up 8.3% over last year’s first quarter. Containerboard production was 1,195,000 tons, and containerboard inventory was up 14,000 tons from the fourth quarter of 2020 and up 41,000 tons compared to the first quarter of 2020. In the Paper segment, sales volume was up 5,000 tons from the fourth quarter of 2020 and down 48,000 tons compared to the first quarter of 2020.

After promising results from the ongoing demonstration phase, Metsä Group has decided to conduct, in parallel with the demo phase, a pre-engineering project related to a possible first commercial-scale factory. Muoto™ packages are renewable and recyclable bioproducts that can be utilised in, e.g., takeaway, berry, tray, and combo packaging. Metsä Group’s innovation company Metsä Spring has decided to start a pre-engineering project for the first commercial factory producing the new packaging solution, Muoto™. Muoto products are wood-based alternatives to plastic packaging. Pre-engineering is a key planning phase, after which Metsä Group will have the conditions of factory planning in place to consider deciding on the factory investment, and it is expected to be completed in early 2025. Based on the outcome of pre-engineering and the continued work in the demo phase, mainly using a unique demo plant in Äänekoski, Finland, Metsä Group will assess the possibility of starting this new business and investing in a factory to support that business. Metsä Group has already decided that the possible factory would be located at its Rauma site in Finland.