The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG) Shares Bought by Handelsbanken Fonder AB

Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its holdings in The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG) by 4.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 96,900 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 3,700 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Interpublic Group of Companies were worth $2,715,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of IPG. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Allworth Financial LP raised its position in shares of 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 worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 480 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $60,000. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Interpublic Group of Companies by 243,700.0% during the 3rd quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 2,438 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $78,000 after purchasing an additional 2,437 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 98.43% of the company’s stock.

Interpublic Group of Companies Trading Up 1.8 %

Shares of NYSE:IPG opened at $27.56 on Tuesday. The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $26.30 and a twelve month high of $35.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market cap of $10.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.06 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a 50 day moving average of $28.03 and a 200-day moving average of $29.72.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The business services provider reported $1.11 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15 by ($0.04). Interpublic Group of Companies had a return on equity of 27.10% and a net margin of 6.45%. As a group, analysts anticipate that The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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

Interpublic Group of Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.33 per share. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.79%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. Interpublic Group of Companies’s payout ratio is currently 72.13%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. UBS Group upgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the company from $29.00 to $27.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $32.00 to $39.00 in a research report on Monday, January 27th. BNP Paribas raised shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $38.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Barclays upgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the company from $32.00 to $36.00 in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on Interpublic Group of Companies in a research report on Friday. They set a “hold” rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $33.50.

Interpublic Group of Companies 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.