Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Boosts Position in WPP plc (NYSE:WPP)

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of WPP plc (NYSE:WPP - Free Report) by 7.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 484,996 shares of the business services provider's stock after buying an additional 35,412 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 0.22% of WPP worth $24,928,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of WPP by 11.9% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,623,960 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $83,472,000 after acquiring an additional 172,212 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in WPP in the 4th quarter worth approximately $8,724,000. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in WPP by 20.4% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 134,524 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $6,915,000 after purchasing an additional 22,770 shares during the last quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of WPP by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC now owns 81,212 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $4,174,000 after purchasing an additional 1,865 shares during the last quarter. Finally, OLD Mission Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of WPP by 1,612.8% in the fourth quarter. OLD Mission Capital LLC now owns 76,306 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $3,922,000 after buying an additional 71,851 shares during the period. 4.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Barclays downgraded WPP from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. Kepler Capital Markets upgraded shares of WPP from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of WPP in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, WPP currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

WPP Price Performance

Shares of WPP stock traded up $0.48 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $39.36. 203,406 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 206,588. The company has a market cap of $8.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.59, a P/E/G ratio of 7.06 and a beta of 1.04. WPP plc has a 12-month low of $31.52 and a 12-month high of $57.37. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $37.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $45.94.

WPP Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 7th. Investors of record on Friday, June 6th will be given a $0.9728 dividend. This is an increase from WPP's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.95. This represents a dividend yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 6th. WPP's payout ratio is currently 8.04%.

WPP Company Profile

WPP plc, a creative transformation company, provides communications, experience, commerce, and technology services in North America, the United Kingdom, Western Continental Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern Europe. The company operates through three segments: Global Integrated Agencies, Public Relations, and Specialist Agencies.