Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) Stock Rating Upgraded by UBS Group

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) was upgraded by equities researchers at UBS Group from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report issued on Thursday,Finviz reports.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on IPG. Barclays upgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $32.00 to $36.00 in a research note on Friday, January 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $32.00 to $39.00 in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of 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. Macquarie reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $31.00 price objective on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on Interpublic Group of Companies in a report on Thursday. They set a “hold” rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $33.75.

Interpublic Group of Companies Stock Down 0.4 %

IPG traded down $0.11 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $26.67. The company had a trading volume of 1,509,237 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,817,064. Interpublic Group of Companies has a 52 week low of $26.30 and a 52 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. The company has a market capitalization of $9.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.58 and a beta of 1.11. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $28.40 and its 200 day moving average price is $29.90.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) last issued its 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%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Interpublic Group of Companies will post 2.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Interpublic Group of Companies announced that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, February 12th that allows the company to buyback $155.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the business services provider to repurchase up to 1.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Interpublic Group of Companies

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in IPG. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the third quarter worth $26,000. Allworth Financial LP lifted its holdings in Interpublic Group of Companies by 75.8% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,113 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 480 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in the third quarter worth about $32,000. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in Interpublic Group of Companies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $60,000. 98.43% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.