West Oak Capital LLC Lowers Position in The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG)

West Oak Capital LLC decreased its stake in shares of The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG) by 13.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 46,375 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 7,380 shares during the period. West Oak Capital LLC’s holdings in Interpublic Group of Companies were worth $1,483,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Compass Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Clear Street Markets LLC grew its position in Interpublic Group of Companies by 94.9% during the first quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 764 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 372 shares during the period. Authentikos Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Interpublic Group of Companies during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, First Manhattan CO. LLC. lifted its stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 1,176.5% in the 1st quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. now owns 1,085 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.43% of the company’s stock.

Interpublic Group of Companies Stock Up 0.4 %

Interpublic Group of Companies stock traded up $0.13 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $32.90. 1,281,751 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,188,948. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $32.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $31.11. The firm has a market cap of $12.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.13. The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $27.20 and a 1 year high of $40.95.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The business services provider reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.16 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $2.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.57 billion. Interpublic Group of Companies had a return on equity of 30.52% and a net margin of 10.09%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.02 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. will post 2.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Interpublic Group of Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 1st were given a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.01%. This is a positive change from Interpublic Group of Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 29th. Interpublic Group of Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.32%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Ellen Tobi Johnson sold 40,393 shares of Interpublic Group of Companies stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.20, for a total value of $1,300,654.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 88,350 shares in the company, valued at $2,844,870. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other Interpublic Group of Companies news, CAO Christopher F. Carroll sold 18,382 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.20, for a total transaction of $591,900.40. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 42,390 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,364,958. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Ellen Tobi Johnson sold 40,393 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.20, for a total value of $1,300,654.60. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 88,350 shares in the company, valued at $2,844,870. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 249,646 shares of company stock worth $8,038,601. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on IPG. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from $38.00 to $37.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 29th. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on Interpublic Group of Companies in a report on Thursday, January 11th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $36.00 price target for the company. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $35.78.

About Interpublic Group of Companies

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.