Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) Earns Buy Rating from Citigroup

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating reiterated by stock analysts at Citigroup in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $35.00 price target on the business services provider's stock. Citigroup's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 46.36% from the company's current price.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Interpublic Group of Companies in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. They issued a "hold" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $32.00 to $39.00 in a report on Monday, January 27th. Argus lowered shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. BNP Paribas upgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from an "underperform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $38.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Finally, UBS Group raised shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $29.00 to $27.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $33.67.

Interpublic Group of Companies Trading Up 2.8 %

Interpublic Group of Companies stock traded up $0.64 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $23.91. 4,458,689 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,121,227. 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 company's 50 day simple moving average is $26.18 and its 200-day simple moving average is $28.22. Interpublic Group of Companies has a fifty-two week low of $22.51 and a fifty-two week high of $33.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.07 and a beta of 1.01.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The business services provider reported $1.11 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Interpublic Group of Companies will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Interpublic Group of Companies declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, February 12th that permits the company to buyback $155.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the business services provider to reacquire up to 1.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Interpublic Group of Companies

In related news, CFO Ellen Tobi Johnson sold 21,427 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.82, for a total value of $574,672.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 143,373 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,845,263.86. The trade was a 13.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.42% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Interpublic Group of Companies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. West Oak Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. West Oak Capital LLC now owns 55,595 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,558,000 after buying an additional 435 shares in the last quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC increased its holdings in Interpublic Group of Companies by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC now owns 21,236 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $595,000 after purchasing an additional 470 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP raised its position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 75.8% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,113 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 480 shares during the last quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 20.7% in the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 3,341 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 573 shares during the period. Finally, Palouse Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Interpublic Group of Companies by 1.1% in the first quarter. Palouse Capital Management Inc. now owns 54,763 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $1,487,000 after buying an additional 574 shares during the period. 98.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Interpublic Group of Companies Company 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.