Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) Upgraded by Barclays to “Overweight” Rating

Barclays upgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning, MarketBeat reports. Barclays currently has $36.00 price objective on the business services provider’s stock, up from their previous price objective of $32.00.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Macquarie reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $31.00 price target on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. BNP Paribas raised Interpublic Group of Companies from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $38.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, January 10th. StockNews.com started coverage on Interpublic Group of Companies in a report on Monday, January 20th. They set a “hold” rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $26.00 to $34.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $36.00 to $33.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $33.00.

Interpublic Group of Companies Trading Up 1.0 %

NYSE IPG opened at $28.55 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $28.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $30.03. The company has a market capitalization of $10.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.47 and a beta of 1.11. Interpublic Group of Companies has a 12 month low of $26.30 and a 12 month high of $35.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 1.09.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 22nd. The business services provider reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.70. The firm had revenue of $2.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.30 billion. Interpublic Group of Companies had a net margin of 7.44% and a return on equity of 27.76%. Interpublic Group of Companies’s quarterly revenue was down 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.70 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Interpublic Group of Companies will post 2.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Interpublic Group of Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were issued a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.62%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 2nd. Interpublic Group of Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.26%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Interpublic Group of Companies

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in the third quarter worth $32,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 52.5% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,177 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 405 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the third quarter valued at $60,000. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont increased its position in Interpublic Group of Companies by 250.0% during the 3rd quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 2,100 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 1,500 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.43% of the company’s stock.

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.