StockNews.com Begins Coverage on Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG)

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

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. UBS Group cut shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $34.00 to $29.00 in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. Macquarie reissued 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. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from $32.50 to $32.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $36.00 to $33.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and increased their target price for the company from $26.00 to $34.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Interpublic Group of Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $31.71.

Interpublic Group of Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:IPG opened at $28.11 on Friday. Interpublic Group of Companies has a one year low of $26.88 and a one year high of $35.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 1.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.26 and a beta of 1.10. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $29.52 and its 200-day moving average price is $30.22.

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, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analysts’ expectations of $2.30 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.70 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Interpublic Group of Companies will post 2.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Interpublic Group of Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were given a dividend of $0.33 per share. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 2nd. Interpublic Group of Companies’s payout ratio is 62.26%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Interpublic Group of Companies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 375 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 652.2% in the 2nd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 1,038 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 900 shares during the period. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Institutional investors 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.