Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) Now Covered by StockNews.com

StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPGFree Report) in a report published on Thursday. The firm issued a hold rating on the business services provider’s stock.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group upgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $29.00 to $27.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Barclays upgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the company from $32.00 to $36.00 in a research report on Friday, January 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $32.00 to $39.00 in a report on Monday, January 27th. Argus cut shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised Interpublic Group of Companies from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $38.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $33.50.

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Interpublic Group of Companies Price Performance

NYSE IPG opened at $23.98 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The company has a market cap of $8.94 billion, a PE ratio of 13.10 and a beta of 1.01. Interpublic Group of Companies has a 52 week low of $22.51 and a 52 week high of $33.05. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $26.52 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $28.44.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPGGet Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The business services provider reported $1.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15 by ($0.04). Interpublic Group of Companies had a net margin of 6.45% and a return on equity of 27.10%. Research analysts predict that Interpublic Group of Companies will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Interpublic Group of Companies declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, February 12th that permits the company to buyback $155.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the business services provider to reacquire up to 1.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Interpublic Group of Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $0.33 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.50%. Interpublic Group of Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 72.13%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Ellen Tobi Johnson sold 21,427 shares of Interpublic Group of Companies stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.82, for a total transaction of $574,672.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 143,373 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,845,263.86. This trade represents a 13.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Interpublic Group of Companies

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 75.8% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,113 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 480 shares during the last quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the first quarter valued at $31,000. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Raiffeisen Bank International AG bought a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, GeoWealth Management LLC grew its position in Interpublic Group of Companies by 20.7% during the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 3,341 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 573 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.43% of the company’s stock.

Interpublic Group of Companies Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc provides advertising and marketing services worldwide. It operates in three segments: Media, Data & Engagement Solutions, Integrated Advertising & Creativity Led Solutions, and Specialized Communications & Experiential Solutions. The Media, Data & Engagement Solutions segment provides media and communications services, digital services and products, advertising and marketing technology, e-commerce services, data management and analytics, strategic consulting, and digital brand experience under the IPG Mediabrands, UM, Initiative, Kinesso, Acxiom, Huge, MRM, and R/GA brand names.

See Also

Analyst Recommendations for Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG)

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