The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG) Shares Sold by River Road Asset Management LLC

River Road Asset Management LLC lowered its position in The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG) by 2.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 362,623 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 8,804 shares during the quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.09% of Interpublic Group of Companies worth $11,836,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Compass Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Clear Street Markets LLC lifted its stake in Interpublic Group of Companies by 94.9% in the first quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 764 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 372 shares during the last quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Authentikos Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies in the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.43% of the company’s stock.

Interpublic Group of Companies Stock Performance

Shares of Interpublic Group of Companies stock opened at $30.27 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $32.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $31.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.62, a PEG ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 1.13. The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $27.20 and a 12 month high of $40.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.06.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The business services provider reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.16 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $2.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.57 billion. Interpublic Group of Companies had a net margin of 10.09% and a return on equity of 30.52%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.02 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. will post 2.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Interpublic Group of Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 1st were issued a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.36%. This is a boost from Interpublic Group of Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 29th. Interpublic Group of Companies’s payout ratio is presently 46.32%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

IPG has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 11th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $36.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from $38.00 to $37.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 29th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Interpublic Group of Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $35.25.

Insider Activity

In other Interpublic Group of Companies news, CFO Ellen Tobi Johnson sold 40,393 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.20, for a total value of $1,300,654.60. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 88,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,844,870. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Interpublic Group of Companies news, CFO Ellen Tobi Johnson sold 40,393 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.20, for a total value of $1,300,654.60. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 88,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,844,870. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Andrew Bonzani sold 40,468 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.20, for a total transaction of $1,303,069.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 70,431 shares in the company, valued at $2,267,878.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 249,646 shares of company stock valued at $8,038,601 in the last ninety days. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.