Caxton Associates LLP Takes Position in Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (The) $IPG

Key Points

• Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies by purchasing 96,034 shares valued at approximately $2.6 million in the first quarter of the year.
• In recent analyst ratings, JPMorgan lowered its target price for the stock from $35.00 to $33.00, while Barclays reduced its target significantly from $34.00 to $27.50, indicating mixed outlooks from financial analysts.
• Interpublic Group also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.33 per share, resulting in a 4.9% yield, with a dividend payout ratio of 111.86%.

Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (The) (NYSE:IPG - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 96,034 shares of the business services provider's stock, valued at approximately $2,608,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of IPG. Sentry Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies during the 1st quarter worth about $31,000. Raiffeisen Bank International AG acquired a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $42,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies during the 1st quarter worth about $44,000. Grove Bank & Trust lifted its stake in Interpublic Group of Companies by 1,219.5% during the 1st quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 2,164 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group lifted its stake in Interpublic Group of Companies by 20.0% during the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 2,349 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 391 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.43% of the company's stock.

Interpublic Group of Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:IPG traded down $0.31 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $26.40. 3,316,785 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,028,826. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $25.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $25.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.37 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $22.51 and a 1 year high of $33.05.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 22nd. The business services provider reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $2.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.15 billion. Interpublic Group of Companies had a return on equity of 28.72% and a net margin of 4.27%.The firm's quarterly revenue was down 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.61 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Interpublic Group of Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.33 per share. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 2nd. Interpublic Group of Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 111.86%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

IPG has been the topic of several recent research reports. Barclays downgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and cut their price target for the stock from $34.00 to $27.50 in a report on Wednesday, June 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Interpublic Group of Companies from $35.00 to $33.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Interpublic Group of Companies to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th. Finally, UBS Group cut their price target on Interpublic Group of Companies from $27.00 to $25.60 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $32.01.

Interpublic Group of Companies 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.