Wall Street Zen Downgrades WPP (NYSE:WPP) to Sell

Key Points

• WPP has been downgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating, with other analysts also showing mixed sentiments about the stock.
• As of now, WPP has a market capitalization of $5.19 billion and the stock is trading at approximately $24.04.
• Institutional investors have been actively adjusting their stakes in WPP, with some firms increasing their holdings significantly, such as Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC by 604% in the first quarter.

WPP (NYSE:WPP - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Sunday.

WPP has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of WPP in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Zacks Research downgraded WPP from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. Barclays restated an "underweight" rating on shares of WPP in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets downgraded WPP from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, WPP has an average rating of "Reduce".

WPP Trading Down 0.4%

WPP stock traded down $0.09 during trading on Friday, reaching $24.23. 274,877 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 373,439. WPP has a 52-week low of $24.01 and a 52-week high of $57.37. The company has a market capitalization of $5.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.06 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $26.71 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $33.61.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On WPP

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of WPP. Assetmark Inc. increased its holdings in WPP by 88.3% during the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 996 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 467 shares during the period. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in WPP by 105.8% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 1,395 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 717 shares during the period. Traub Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in WPP during the 2nd quarter worth about $52,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in WPP by 41.9% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,990 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 588 shares during the period. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group boosted its position in shares of WPP by 3,450.0% during the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 1,917 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $73,000 after acquiring an additional 1,863 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 4.34% of the company's stock.

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.