Natixis Advisors LLC Reduces Stock Position in Wpp Plc (NYSE:WPP)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in WPP Plc by 36.6%, selling 24,152 shares during the 1st quarter, leaving them with 41,790 shares valued at approximately $1.59 million.
• WPP stock has been underperforming, recently trading down 5.5%, with a current price of $24.72 and a P/E ratio of 4.14, showing significant volatility as it has a 52-week range from $24.52 to $57.37.
• Analysts have mixed opinions on WPP, with one report from Barclays rating it as "underweight", while Deutsche Bank maintains a "buy" rating, resulting in an average rating of "Hold" from research analysts.

Natixis Advisors LLC lessened its position in shares of Wpp Plc (NYSE:WPP - Free Report) by 36.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 41,790 shares of the business services provider's stock after selling 24,152 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC's holdings in WPP were worth $1,586,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Stifel Financial Corp grew its stake in WPP by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 56,210 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $2,889,000 after purchasing an additional 247 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. raised its stake in shares of WPP by 88.3% during the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 996 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 467 shares during the last quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of WPP by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 34,710 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $1,318,000 after buying an additional 498 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its stake in shares of WPP by 57.0% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 2,168 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $111,000 after buying an additional 787 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of WPP by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 20,344 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $1,046,000 after buying an additional 932 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 4.34% of the company's stock.

WPP Trading Down 5.5%

WPP stock opened at $24.72 on Friday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $32.46 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00. Wpp Plc has a 52-week low of $24.52 and a 52-week high of $57.37. The firm has a market cap of $5.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.14 and a beta of 1.01.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WPP has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Barclays reiterated an "underweight" rating on shares of WPP in a research note on Friday. Kepler Capital Markets lowered WPP from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of WPP in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered WPP from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold".

About WPP

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WPP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Wpp Plc (NYSE:WPP - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.