Interpublic Group of Companies Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:IPG)

The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Monday. Investors bought 2,295 call options on the company. This is an increase of 137% compared to the average volume of 969 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on IPG. StockNews.com raised Interpublic Group of Companies from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 9th. UBS Group cut shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $34.00 to $29.00 in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. Macquarie reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $31.00 price target on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Barclays decreased their price objective on Interpublic Group of Companies from $32.50 to $32.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, Bank of America cut their target price on Interpublic Group of Companies from $36.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 5th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Interpublic Group of Companies currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $30.57.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Interpublic Group of Companies

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Copley Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Interpublic Group of Companies in the third quarter valued at approximately $485,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 295,937 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $9,322,000 after purchasing an additional 4,848 shares in the last quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp grew its position in Interpublic Group of Companies by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp now owns 336,896 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $10,657,000 after purchasing an additional 9,567 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC increased its stake in Interpublic Group of Companies by 13.1% during the 3rd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 139,984 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $4,428,000 after purchasing an additional 16,187 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies during the third quarter worth $107,000. Institutional investors own 98.43% of the company’s stock.

Interpublic Group of Companies Stock Up 3.5 %

Shares of NYSE:IPG opened at $30.29 on Tuesday. Interpublic Group of Companies has a 1 year low of $26.88 and a 1 year high of $35.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 1.09. The business’s 50-day moving average is $30.12 and its 200-day moving average is $30.40. The company has a market capitalization of $11.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.29 and a beta of 1.10.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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. The firm had revenue of $2.24 billion for 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 company’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.70 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Interpublic Group of Companies will post 2.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Interpublic Group of Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be paid a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.36%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 2nd. Interpublic Group of Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.26%.

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.