Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) Downgraded by BNP Paribas to Underperform

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at BNP Paribas from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley cut shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from an "equal weight" rating to an "underweight" rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $34.00 to $28.00 in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Macquarie dropped their price target on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from $33.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Barclays reduced their price target on Interpublic Group of Companies from $35.00 to $34.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Interpublic Group of Companies from $36.00 to $35.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 5th. Finally, UBS Group lowered Interpublic Group of Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "sell" rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $34.00 to $29.00 in a report on Thursday, September 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Interpublic Group of Companies presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $33.00.

Interpublic Group of Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:IPG traded down $0.20 during trading on Monday, reaching $31.42. 2,307,204 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,902,614. Interpublic Group of Companies has a 12 month low of $27.20 and a 12 month high of $35.17. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $31.14 and a 200-day moving average price of $30.89. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The firm has a market cap of $11.86 billion, a PE ratio of 11.25, a PEG ratio of 5.23 and a beta of 1.10.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The business services provider reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.02. Interpublic Group of Companies had a return on equity of 27.98% and a net margin of 9.46%. The business had revenue of $2.71 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.33 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.74 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Interpublic Group of Companies will post 2.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,462,000. Brown Financial Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the second quarter worth $656,000. Aurora Investment Counsel lifted its stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 14.5% in the 2nd quarter. Aurora Investment Counsel now owns 50,512 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $1,469,000 after acquiring an additional 6,408 shares during the last quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP boosted its holdings in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 94.5% during the 2nd quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 178,724 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $5,199,000 after acquiring an additional 86,812 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Scientech Research LLC bought a new stake in Interpublic Group of Companies during the 2nd quarter worth $994,000. Institutional investors 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.