Paper & forest products 2025 outlook and top stocks to own By Investing.com
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 20 2024
0mins
Should l Buy WY?
Source: Investing.com
Market Outlook for Containerboard and Lumber: RBC Capital Markets anticipates a cyclical recovery in containerboard and a tighter lumber market by 2025, favoring companies like International Paper and Smurfit WestRock for their pricing strategies, while expecting a 15% rise in lumber prices due to capacity reductions.
Challenges and Forecasts: High mortgage rates are expected to limit demand for wood products, with only a modest increase in housing starts projected; however, ongoing capacity curtailments may lead to higher pricing in the lumber market.
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Analyst Views on WY
Wall Street analysts forecast WY stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for WY is 29.13 USD with a low forecast of 26.00 USD and a high forecast of 35.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
9 Analyst Rating
7 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 26.710
Low
26.00
Averages
29.13
High
35.00
Current: 26.710
Low
26.00
Averages
29.13
High
35.00
About WY
Weyerhaeuser Company is a real estate investment trust. The Company is a private owner of timberlands and owns or controls approximately 10.4 million acres of timberlands in the United States and manages additional timberlands under long-term licenses in Canada. Its segments include Timberlands, Real Estate, Energy and Natural Resources (Real Estate & ENR), and Wood Products. The Timberlands segment includes logs, timber, recreational leases, and other products. The Real Estate & ENR segment includes the sales of timberlands and rights to explore for and extract hard minerals, construction materials, natural gas production, wind and solar. The Wood Products include structural lumber, oriented strand board, engineered wood products, and building materials distribution. Its products are primarily supplied to the residential, multi-family, repair and remodel, industrial and light commercial markets. The Company operates over 34 manufacturing facilities in the United States and Canada.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Financial Overview: Weyerhaeuser reported full-year GAAP earnings of $324 million or $0.45 per diluted share on net sales of $6.9 billion, with fourth-quarter GAAP earnings of $74 million or $0.10 per diluted share, reflecting the company's resilience in a challenging market.
- Divestiture Transactions: The company completed two divestiture transactions of non-core timberlands in the fourth quarter for total proceeds of $406 million and plans to divest 108,000 acres in Virginia for $193 million, further optimizing its asset portfolio.
- Increased Shareholder Returns: Weyerhaeuser raised its base dividend by 5% and returned $766 million in cash to shareholders, including $160 million in share repurchases, demonstrating a commitment to shareholder value and flexible capital allocation.
- Future Growth Targets: Management set a new target for the Climate Solutions business to achieve $250 million in annual EBITDA by 2030 and expects total fee harvest volumes of approximately 35.5 million tons in 2026, showcasing the company's strategic positioning in sustainable development and market demand.
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- Q4 Financial Setback: Weyerhaeuser reported an unexpected adjusted net loss of -$0.09 per share for Q4 2025, falling short of the $0.08 consensus, which led to a 1.6% drop in after-hours trading, highlighting significant challenges in its Timberlands and Wood Products segments.
- Sales Decline: The company's net sales for Q4 were $1.54 billion, missing the $1.56 billion expectation, and down from $1.72 billion in Q3 and $1.71 billion a year earlier, indicating weakened market demand.
- Adjusted EBITDA Drop: Weyerhaeuser's adjusted EBITDA fell to $140 million, down from $217 million in Q3 and $294 million in Q4 2024, reflecting a continued deterioration in profitability across its operations.
- Wood Products Division Loss: The Wood Products segment reported an adjusted EBITDA of -$20 million, a significant decline from $8 million in Q3, with expectations that this division will continue to face pressure, impacting overall financial health.
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- Earnings Decline: Weyerhaeuser's Q4 earnings totaled $74 million, or $0.10 per share, reflecting a 7.4% decrease from last year's $81 million and $0.11 per share, indicating pressures on profitability amid challenging market conditions.
- Revenue Drop: The company's revenue fell by 9.8% to $1.541 billion from $1.708 billion last year, highlighting the negative impact of weak overall market demand on its financial performance.
- Performance Comparison: The decline in both earnings per share and total revenue compared to last year suggests that Weyerhaeuser is facing challenges in the current economic environment, necessitating potential strategic adjustments to navigate market changes.
- Market Outlook: With the dual decline in revenue and earnings, investors may adopt a cautious stance regarding the company's future performance, potentially affecting its stock price and market confidence.
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- Earnings Release: Weyerhaeuser Company reported its fourth quarter 2025 financial results on January 29, 2026, indicating the company's continued stable performance in the timber industry, although specific financial figures have not yet been disclosed.
- Conference Call Scheduled: The company will hold a conference call on January 30, 2026, at 7 a.m. Pacific Time to discuss the financial results in detail, which is expected to enhance investor confidence in the company's future growth.
- Company Overview: Founded in 1900, Weyerhaeuser controls over 10 million acres of timberlands, demonstrating its leadership in sustainability by adhering to internationally recognized sustainable forestry standards.
- Business Diversification: As one of North America's largest wood products manufacturers, the company generated $6.9 billion in net sales in 2025 and employs approximately 9,500 people, showcasing its robust capabilities across timber, real estate, and climate solutions sectors.
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- Earnings Release: Weyerhaeuser Company reported its Q4 2025 financial results on January 29, 2026, indicating stable performance in the timber industry, although specific financial metrics were not disclosed, maintaining investor interest.
- Conference Call Scheduled: The company will hold a conference call on January 30, 2026, at 7 a.m. Pacific Time to discuss the financial results in detail, providing an opportunity for investor interaction with management and enhancing transparency.
- Company Background: Founded in 1900, Weyerhaeuser controls over 10 million acres of timberlands, establishing itself as one of the world's largest private timberland owners and showcasing its leadership in sustainability.
- Diversified Business: In 2025, the company generated $6.9 billion in net sales with approximately 9,500 employees, engaging in various sectors beyond wood products, including climate solutions, real estate, and energy, demonstrating strong market adaptability.
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- Earnings Announcement: Weyerhaeuser is set to release its Q4 earnings on January 29 after market close, with consensus estimates predicting a funds from operations (FFO) of $0.08 and revenues of $1.56 billion, reflecting an 8.8% year-over-year decline, indicating challenges in the current market environment.
- Industry Leadership: As a leader among timber REITs, Weyerhaeuser is actively addressing recent market headwinds by continuously optimizing its operational strategies to maintain its competitive edge in the sector.
- Investor Day Insights: The company recently held an Analyst/Investor Day, where it shared its strategic direction and market outlook, aiming to bolster investor confidence and attract further capital investment.
- Strategic Partnership: Weyerhaeuser has formed a joint venture with Aymium to produce biocarbon for metals production, highlighting the company's strategic focus on sustainability and emerging market opportunities.
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