Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) Downgraded by Argus to “Hold”

Argus downgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on IPG. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $38.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, January 10th. Barclays upgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the company from $32.00 to $36.00 in a report on Friday, January 24th. UBS Group upgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $29.00 to $27.00 in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $26.00 to $34.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $32.00 to $39.00 in a research note on Monday, January 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $33.50.

Interpublic Group of Companies Trading Up 1.9 %

Shares of Interpublic Group of Companies stock opened at $27.56 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.09. Interpublic Group of Companies has a 52 week low of $26.30 and a 52 week high of $35.17. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $28.24 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $29.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.27 billion, a PE ratio of 13.00 and a beta of 1.11.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The business services provider reported $1.11 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15 by ($0.04). Interpublic Group of Companies had a net margin of 7.44% and a return on equity of 27.76%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Interpublic Group of Companies will post 2.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Interpublic Group of Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.79%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. Interpublic Group of Companies’s payout ratio is 72.13%.

Interpublic Group of Companies declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, February 12th that permits the company to buyback $155.00 million in outstanding 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 often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Interpublic Group of Companies

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in the third quarter worth $26,000. Allworth Financial LP increased its stake in Interpublic Group of Companies by 75.8% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,113 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 480 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Raiffeisen Bank International AG purchased a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies in the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.43% of the company’s stock.

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.