Wpp Plc $WPP Shares Purchased by Northern Trust Corp

Key Points

• Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in WPP Plc by 11.6% during Q1, owning approximately 283,028 shares worth $10.7 million.
• WPP announced a semi-annual dividend of $0.5033 per share, resulting in a yield of 1,060.0%, despite a low dividend payout ratio of 8.21%.
• Equities analysts issued mixed ratings on WPP, with Zacks Research downgrading it to a "strong sell" while others maintained or downgraded existing ratings.

Northern Trust Corp grew its holdings in Wpp Plc (NYSE:WPP - Free Report) by 11.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 283,028 shares of the business services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 29,388 shares during the quarter. Northern Trust Corp owned approximately 0.13% of WPP worth $10,744,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of WPP. First Trust Advisors LP acquired a new stake in shares of WPP in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $309,000. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of WPP in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,292,000. Graham Capital Management L.P. acquired a new stake in WPP during the fourth quarter worth approximately $872,000. Mork Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in WPP during the fourth quarter worth approximately $987,000. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP boosted its position in WPP by 55.8% during the fourth quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 54,443 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $2,798,000 after acquiring an additional 19,493 shares during the last quarter. 4.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of WPP from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Zacks Research lowered shares of WPP from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. Kepler Capital Markets lowered shares of WPP from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "buy" rating on shares of WPP in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, Barclays restated an "underweight" rating on shares of WPP in a research report on Friday, August 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Reduce".

WPP Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of NYSE WPP traded up $0.18 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $26.99. The stock had a trading volume of 296,756 shares, compared to its average volume of 421,253. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. Wpp Plc has a 1-year low of $24.28 and a 1-year high of $57.37. The company has a market capitalization of $5.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.52 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $28.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $34.92.

WPP Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 10th will be given a dividend of $0.5033 per share. This represents a yield of 1,060.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 10th. WPP's payout ratio is 8.21%.

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.