Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) Sets New 12-Month Low – Should You Sell?

The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG) shares hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $25.81 and last traded at $25.91, with a volume of 400293 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $26.12.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on IPG shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Interpublic Group of Companies from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the company from $32.00 to $39.00 in a report on Monday, January 27th. Argus lowered Interpublic Group of Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Barclays upgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $32.00 to $36.00 in a research note on Friday, January 24th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in a research note on Wednesday. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $26.00 to $34.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Interpublic Group of Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $33.50.

Interpublic Group of Companies Trading Up 0.1 %

The firm has a market cap of $9.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.29 and a beta of 1.14. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $27.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $28.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The business services provider reported $1.11 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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, sell-side analysts predict that The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. will post 2.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Interpublic Group of Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a $0.33 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.05%. Interpublic Group of Companies’s payout ratio is 72.13%.

Interpublic Group of Companies announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, February 12th that allows the company to buyback $155.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the business services provider to buy up to 1.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other Interpublic Group of Companies news, CFO Ellen Tobi Johnson sold 21,427 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.82, for a total transaction of $574,672.14. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 143,373 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,845,263.86. This represents a 13.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.42% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Interpublic Group of Companies

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of IPG. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 30.7% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,109,155 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $31,079,000 after acquiring an additional 260,312 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Interpublic Group of Companies by 22.0% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 59,373 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,664,000 after purchasing an additional 10,725 shares during the period. Copley Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Copley Financial Group Inc. now owns 16,058 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $450,000 after purchasing an additional 712 shares during the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $11,637,000. Finally, Forum Financial Management LP grew its position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 17.2% during the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 7,612 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $213,000 after buying an additional 1,115 shares during the period. 98.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.