Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) Raised to “Hold” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group cut Interpublic Group of Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $34.00 to $29.00 in a report on Thursday, September 12th. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $34.00 to $28.00 in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from $32.50 to $32.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Bank of America lowered their price target on Interpublic Group of Companies from $36.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 5th. Finally, Macquarie restated a “neutral” rating and set a $31.00 price objective on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $30.57.

Interpublic Group of Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:IPG opened at $29.40 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $10.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.87, a P/E/G ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 1.09. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $31.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $30.70. Interpublic Group of Companies has a fifty-two week low of $27.84 and a fifty-two week high of $35.17. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 22nd. The business services provider reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.70. Interpublic Group of Companies had a return on equity of 27.76% and a net margin of 7.44%. The business had revenue of $2.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.30 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.70 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Interpublic Group of Companies will post 2.82 EPS for the current year.

Interpublic Group of Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.33 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.49%. Interpublic Group of Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 62.26%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Benjamin Edwards Inc. raised its position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 73.8% in the 2nd quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 883 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 375 shares in the last quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in the third quarter worth $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its holdings in Interpublic Group of Companies by 652.2% in the second quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 1,038 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 900 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Interpublic Group of Companies by 52.5% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,177 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 405 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.43% of the company’s stock.

Interpublic Group of Companies Company Profile

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.