Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) Sets New 52-Week Low - Should You Sell?

The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $26.86 and last traded at $26.86, with a volume of 1221007 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $27.53.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their target price for the company from $36.00 to $33.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. UBS Group downgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "sell" rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $34.00 to $29.00 in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Macquarie reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $31.00 price objective on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and upped their price target for the stock from $26.00 to $34.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in a research report on Saturday, January 4th. They set a "hold" rating on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $32.50.

Interpublic Group of Companies Price Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $29.12 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $30.11. The company has a market cap of $9.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.59 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.09.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 22nd. The business services provider reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.70. The company had revenue of $2.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.30 billion. Interpublic Group of Companies had a return on equity of 27.76% and a net margin of 7.44%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.70 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. will post 2.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Interpublic Group of Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.33 per share. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 2nd. Interpublic Group of Companies's payout ratio is 62.26%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Interpublic Group of Companies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. State Street Corp grew its position in Interpublic Group of Companies by 15.1% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 29,844,859 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $943,993,000 after acquiring an additional 3,920,975 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 2.2% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 12,426,923 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $393,064,000 after buying an additional 270,857 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 9,449,534 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $298,107,000 after acquiring an additional 81,265 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Interpublic Group of Companies by 13.8% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 6,842,846 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $199,063,000 after acquiring an additional 828,150 shares during the period. Finally, Ariel Investments LLC grew its position in Interpublic Group of Companies by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Ariel Investments LLC now owns 5,710,448 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $166,117,000 after acquiring an additional 193,898 shares during the last quarter. 98.43% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.