Wpp Plc (NYSE:WPP) Given Consensus Rating of "Reduce" by Analysts

Key Points

• WPP Plc has received an average rating of "Reduce" from five brokerages, with two analysts recommending a sell, two a hold, and one a buy.
• The company recently announced a semi-annual dividend payment of $0.5033, resulting in a substantial yield of 1,060.0%, despite its payout ratio being 8.21%.
• WPP's stock is currently trading at $26.58, significantly below its 52-week high of $57.37, indicating a challenging market position for the company.

Shares of Wpp Plc (NYSE:WPP - Get Free Report) have received an average rating of "Reduce" from the five analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company.

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Barclays restated an "underweight" rating on shares of WPP in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Wall Street Zen cut WPP from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Kepler Capital Markets lowered WPP from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Zacks Research cut WPP from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Thursday, August 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating on shares of WPP in a research note on Thursday, July 10th.

WPP Price Performance

Shares of WPP traded down $0.41 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $26.14. The company had a trading volume of 291,371 shares, compared to its average volume of 369,205. The company has a market capitalization of $5.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.37 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.86. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $28.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $35.52. WPP has a 1-year low of $24.28 and a 1-year high of $57.37.

WPP Cuts Dividend

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On WPP

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Stifel Financial Corp raised its stake in shares of WPP by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 56,210 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $2,889,000 after acquiring an additional 247 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in WPP by 4.1% in the second quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 10,660 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $373,000 after purchasing an additional 420 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC raised its position in WPP by 8.0% during the 1st quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 6,194 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $235,000 after purchasing an additional 459 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. lifted 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 buying an additional 467 shares during the period. Finally, Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of WPP by 1.5% in 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. 4.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.