Venturi Wealth Management LLC Lowers Position in The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG)

Venturi Wealth Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG) by 7.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 31,097 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 2,363 shares during the quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Interpublic Group of Companies were worth $871,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in IPG. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Allworth Financial LP boosted 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 valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 480 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $60,000. Finally, Raleigh Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 31.8% during the 3rd quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,356 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $75,000 after buying an additional 568 shares in the last quarter. 98.43% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have commented on IPG shares. BNP Paribas raised Interpublic Group of Companies from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $38.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Barclays upgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $32.00 to $36.00 in a research report on Friday, January 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Interpublic Group of Companies from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $32.00 to $39.00 in a report on Monday, January 27th. Argus cut Interpublic Group of Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Macquarie restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $31.00 price target on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $33.50.

Interpublic Group of Companies Stock Up 1.9 %

Interpublic Group of Companies stock opened at $27.56 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $28.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $29.79. The firm has a market cap of $10.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.00 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $26.30 and a twelve month high of $35.17.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The business services provider reported $1.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15 by ($0.04). Interpublic Group of Companies had a return on equity of 27.76% and a net margin of 7.44%. On average, analysts forecast that The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. will post 2.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Interpublic Group of Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Interpublic Group of Companies declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Wednesday, February 12th that authorizes the company to buyback $155.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the business services provider to buy up to 1.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

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.