Palouse Capital Management Inc. Sells 1,744 Shares of The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG)

Palouse Capital Management Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG) by 2.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 58,260 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 1,744 shares during the quarter. Palouse Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Interpublic Group of Companies were worth $1,902,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in IPG. Compass Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Clear Street Markets LLC raised its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 372 shares in the last quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Authentikos Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies in the third quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies in the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Institutional investors own 98.43% of the company’s stock.

Interpublic Group of Companies Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE IPG traded up $0.33 during trading on Friday, reaching $30.72. The company had a trading volume of 4,029,280 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,070,688. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $27.20 and a 12-month high of $40.95. The stock has a market cap of $11.59 billion, a PE ratio of 10.78, a P/E/G ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 1.13. The business’s 50-day moving average is $31.98 and its 200 day moving average is $31.28.

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

Interpublic Group of Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 1st were given a dividend of $0.33 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 29th. This is a boost from Interpublic Group of Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.30%. Interpublic Group of Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.32%.

Insider Activity at Interpublic Group of Companies

In other Interpublic Group of Companies news, CEO Philippe Krakowsky sold 150,403 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.20, for a total value of $4,842,976.60. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 415,776 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,387,987.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, CAO Christopher F. Carroll sold 18,382 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.20, for a total value of $591,900.40. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 42,390 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,364,958. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Philippe Krakowsky sold 150,403 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.20, for a total value of $4,842,976.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 415,776 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,387,987.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 249,646 shares of company stock valued at $8,038,601 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Interpublic Group of Companies 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.