Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) Earns Hold Rating from Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) in a research note issued to investors on Monday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the business services provider’s stock.

A number of other analysts have also commented on the company. Barclays dropped their price target on 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Interpublic Group of Companies from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $36.00 to $33.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. BNP Paribas raised Interpublic Group of Companies from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $38.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Macquarie restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $31.00 price target on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised Interpublic Group of Companies from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $26.00 to $34.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $32.50.

Interpublic Group of Companies Price Performance

Interpublic Group of Companies stock opened at $28.22 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The company has a market capitalization of $10.51 billion, a PE ratio of 13.31 and a beta of 1.11. Interpublic Group of Companies has a 12 month low of $26.30 and a 12 month high of $35.17. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $28.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $30.05.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 22nd. The business services provider reported $0.70 EPS 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.30 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.70 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Interpublic Group of Companies will post 2.81 EPS for the current year.

Interpublic Group of Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd were paid a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.68%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 2nd. Interpublic Group of Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 62.26%.

Institutional Trading of Interpublic Group of Companies

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its stake in Interpublic Group of Companies by 73.8% during the 2nd quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 883 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 375 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 52.5% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,177 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 405 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in the third quarter valued at approximately $60,000. 98.43% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Interpublic Group of Companies

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.