IP 10-K Analysis: The $3.5B Capital Destruction Waterfall Behind the DS Smith Deal
International Paper spent $7.2 billion to acquire DS Smith, took a $2.47 billion goodwill impairment within eleven months, then announced it would spin off the acquired business. But the impairment is only the first layer. Our 10-K analysis reveals $3.85 billion in total first-year value destruction — including a $518 million foregone tax shield and $867 million in integration cash drain — plus $1.23 billion in annual recurring charges that will weigh on earnings for 14+ years.