Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at StockNews.com

Equities research analysts at StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG - Get Free Report) in a report released on Tuesday. The firm set a "hold" rating on the business services provider's stock.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $35.00 price objective on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. UBS Group raised shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their target price for the company from $29.00 to $27.00 in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from $36.00 to $34.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $32.00 to $39.00 in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Finally, Argus cut shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $33.44.

Interpublic Group of Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:IPG opened at $25.46 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.09. The firm has a market cap of $9.41 billion, a PE ratio of 13.91 and a beta of 1.09. Interpublic Group of Companies has a twelve month low of $22.51 and a twelve month high of $33.05. The business has a fifty day moving average of $25.15 and a 200-day moving average of $27.29.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The business services provider reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.03. Interpublic Group of Companies had a return on equity of 27.10% and a net margin of 6.45%. The business had revenue of $2 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.98 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.36 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Interpublic Group of Companies will post 2.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Interpublic Group of Companies announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, February 12th that authorizes the company to buyback $155.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the business services provider to repurchase up to 1.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Interpublic Group of Companies news, CFO Ellen Tobi Johnson sold 21,427 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.82, for a total value of $574,672.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 143,373 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,845,263.86. This trade represents a 13.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.42% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Interpublic Group of Companies

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Allworth Financial LP increased its position 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 valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 480 shares during the period. Sentry Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the first quarter valued at about $31,000. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Raiffeisen Bank International AG purchased a new stake in Interpublic Group of Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the first quarter valued at about $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.43% of the company's stock.

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.

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