Short Interest in The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG) Increases By 15.8%

The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of November. As of November 30th, there was short interest totalling 29,100,000 shares, a growth of 15.8% from the November 15th total of 25,120,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 5,030,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.8 days. Currently, 7.8% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Institutional Trading of Interpublic Group of Companies

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. boosted its position in Interpublic Group of Companies by 73.8% in the 2nd quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 883 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 375 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in the third quarter worth $32,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. grew its stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 652.2% in the second quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 1,038 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 900 shares in the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the second quarter worth $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.43% of the company's stock.

Interpublic Group of Companies Trading Up 0.1 %

Interpublic Group of Companies stock traded up $0.03 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $29.92. The company's stock had a trading volume of 7,364,119 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,247,313. Interpublic Group of Companies has a 1 year low of $26.88 and a 1 year high of $35.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.15 billion, a PE ratio of 14.18 and a beta of 1.10. The stock's fifty day moving average is $30.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $30.36.

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

Interpublic Group of Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.33 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.41%. Interpublic Group of Companies's payout ratio is currently 62.26%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

IPG has been the topic of a number of research reports. StockNews.com upgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, November 9th. Macquarie restated a "neutral" rating and set a $31.00 price target on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and cut their price objective for the company from $36.00 to $33.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from $32.50 to $32.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and upped their price target for the company from $26.00 to $34.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Interpublic Group of Companies currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $31.71.

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.