HAS vs IP: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
Last updated August 2026
Short answer
HAS (Hasbro) and IP (International Paper) share investment themes but are different businesses. The right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme.
HAS vs IP: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.
| Metric | HAS | IP | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward P/E | 14.41 | 13.89 | Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up. |
| Beta | 0.48 | 0.90 | Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through. |
| Price vs 52-week range | 65% of range | 55% of range | Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why. |
Before you buy: how HAS and IP affect your concentration
The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. HAS and IP share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.
This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined HAS and IP exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
What does Hasbro (HAS) do?
Hasbro is a global play-and-entertainment company that owns brands including Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Monopoly, Nerf, Transformers, Play-Doh, and My Little Pony. It reports in three segments: Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming (trading card games plus licensed video and mobile games like Monopoly Go!), Consumer Products (physical toys and games), and Entertainment (licensing and film/TV). The business has shifted decisively toward higher-margin gaming and licensing, with Wizards now the primary profit and growth engine.
What does International Paper (IP) do?
International Paper is a leading global producer of fiber-based packaging, pulp, and related products, best known for corrugated containers and the containerboard that goes into them. Its boxes carry everything from food and beverages to e-commerce shipments and industrial goods, so demand broadly tracks consumer and industrial activity. The company sells mainly to businesses rather than consumers, and its economics turn on containerboard pricing, box volumes, input costs like fiber and energy, and mill utilization. As a large, capital-intensive manufacturer, it competes on cost, scale, and its distribution and converting network.
HAS vs IP: how do they differ?
Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.
- HAS drivers: Magic: The Gathering as the profit engine; Digital and licensed gaming.
- IP drivers: DS Smith integration and global scale; Cost cuts and footprint optimization.
Which fits which kind of investor
A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Revenue and profit concentration in Magic: The Gathering is the central risk, since a cooling of that franchise would hit results disproportionately given its outsized margin contribution. For IP, the main risk is cyclicality: box volumes and containerboard pricing move with consumer and industrial activity, so an economic slowdown can reduce demand and pressure pricing and margins, as recent low-single-digit volume softness showed.
HAS or IP: which should you pick?
HAS vs IP: the full fundamentals
HAS. As of JULY 2026 Hasbro traded around ~$76 for a market cap near ~$11.3 billion. Trailing GAAP earnings are distorted by prior impairment charges (producing a negative reported P/E), so investors lean on adjusted metrics, where Q1 2026 adjusted EPS was ~$1.47 and full-year adjusted EBITDA is guided to ~$1.40-1.45 billion. The ~3.6% dividend yield reflects a $0.70 quarterly payout.
IP. Figures are approximate and tied to the asOf date; verify live numbers before acting. Packaging producers like International Paper are cyclical, so trailing earnings can be distorted by restructuring charges and where box volumes and containerboard prices sit in the cycle. That makes forward margins, synergy capture, and the value the market assigns to the two separated companies more important to the thesis than a single point-in-time earnings multiple.
Headline figures (approximate, JULY 2026): HAS shows revenue (ttm) ~$4.8B, q1 2026 revenue ~$1.0B (up ~13% YoY), market cap ~$11.3B, stock price ~$76; IP shows transformation Completed DS Smith acquisition (Jan 2025); planned geographic split announced early 2026, synergy target At least several hundred million dollars from the DS Smith combination, 2025 segment strength North American packaging adjusted EBITDA grew sharply with margin expansion, 2026 earnings Expected to absorb substantial restructuring charges from footprint actions.
The bottom line: HAS vs IP
HAS and IP are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined HAS and IP exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how HAS or IP fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in Hasbro with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how HAS fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is the difference between HAS and IP?
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Hasbro is a global play-and-entertainment company that owns brands including Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Monopoly, Nerf, Transformers, Play-Doh, and My Little Pony. International Paper is a leading global producer of fiber-based packaging, pulp, and related products, best known for corrugated containers and the containerboard that goes into them. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.
Is HAS or IP the better stock?
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Neither is universally better; they suit different views and risk levels. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.
Which is cheaper, HAS or IP?
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On forward P/E (as of August 2026), HAS trades at 14.41x and IP at 13.89x, so IP is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.
Should you own both HAS and IP?
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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.
What are the risks of HAS vs IP?
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HAS: Revenue and profit concentration in Magic: The Gathering is the central risk, since a cooling of that franchise would hit results disproportionately given its outsized margin contribution. The Consumer Products (toy) segment remains weak, posting an operating loss in Q1 2026 amid soft demand and tariff costs modeled at ~$100 million-plus for the year. Long-term debt of ~$3.6 billion as of March 2026, including notes maturing in late 2026, keeps leverage a watch item. Trailing GAAP results are distorted by prior-period impairment charges, so headline GAAP profitability can look negative even when adjusted earnings are strong. Broader consumer-spending pressure and a heavy reliance on hit-driven entertainment and gaming cycles add volatility. IP: The main risk is cyclicality: box volumes and containerboard pricing move with consumer and industrial activity, so an economic slowdown can reduce demand and pressure pricing and margins, as recent low-single-digit volume softness showed. The transformation adds substantial execution risk: integrating DS Smith, capturing synergies, and separating into two companies all carry costs, distraction, and the possibility of dis-synergies or delays. Heavy restructuring charges are expected to weigh on 2026 earnings even as they set up future savings. Input costs for fiber, energy, and chemicals are volatile and can compress margins. The business is capital intensive and carries debt increased by the DS Smith deal, so higher rates raise financing costs. Trade policy, tariffs, and currency swings add further uncertainty across its now larger international footprint.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell HAS or IP; figures are approximate and dated (as of August 2026). Verify current data before investing.