TCW Group Inc. Has $1.67 Million Stake in The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG)

TCW Group Inc. decreased its position in The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG) by 25.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 59,528 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 20,560 shares during the quarter. TCW Group Inc.’s holdings in Interpublic Group of Companies were worth $1,668,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of IPG. AMF Tjanstepension AB raised its stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 70.3% in the 3rd quarter. AMF Tjanstepension AB now owns 253,172 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $8,008,000 after purchasing an additional 104,514 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 2,679.9% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 30,523 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $965,000 after purchasing an additional 29,425 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 2.9% in the third quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 14,058 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $445,000 after acquiring an additional 399 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 13.1% in the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 276,035 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $8,728,000 after acquiring an additional 31,966 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Forsta AP Fonden increased its position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 4.8% in the third quarter. Forsta AP Fonden now owns 197,300 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $6,241,000 after acquiring an additional 9,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.43% of the company’s stock.

Interpublic Group of Companies Trading Up 1.8 %

Shares of NYSE:IPG opened at $27.56 on Tuesday. The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $26.30 and a 12-month high of $35.17. The stock has a market cap of $10.27 billion, a PE ratio of 15.06 and a beta of 1.11. The business has a 50 day moving average of $28.03 and a 200-day moving average of $29.72. 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 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 return on equity of 27.10% and a net margin of 6.45%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Interpublic Group of Companies Announces Dividend

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

Interpublic Group of Companies announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, February 12th that authorizes the company to repurchase $155.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the business services provider to purchase up to 1.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on IPG. Argus downgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Barclays raised Interpublic Group of Companies from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $32.00 to $36.00 in a research report on Friday, January 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Interpublic Group of Companies from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $32.00 to $39.00 in a research report on Monday, January 27th. StockNews.com began coverage on Interpublic Group of Companies in a research report on Friday. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Finally, UBS Group raised Interpublic Group of Companies from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $29.00 to $27.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Interpublic Group of Companies currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $33.50.

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.