The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG) Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.33

The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, February 12th,RTT News reports. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of 0.33 per share by the business services provider on Monday, March 17th. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.93%.

Interpublic Group of Companies has increased its dividend payment by an average of 6.9% annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 13 years. Interpublic Group of Companies has a payout ratio of 46.0% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect Interpublic Group of Companies to earn $2.70 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.32 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 48.9%.

Interpublic Group of Companies Price Performance

NYSE IPG opened at $26.79 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $28.44 and its 200-day moving average is $29.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The company has a market capitalization of $9.98 billion, a PE ratio of 12.64 and a beta of 1.11. Interpublic Group of Companies has a 12-month low of $26.30 and a 12-month high of $35.17.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The business services provider reported $1.11 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.15 by ($0.04). Interpublic Group of Companies had a return on equity of 27.76% and a net margin of 7.44%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Interpublic Group of Companies will post 2.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas raised Interpublic Group of Companies from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $38.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $26.00 to $34.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price target for the company from $32.00 to $39.00 in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Barclays upgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $32.00 to $36.00 in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Macquarie reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $31.00 target price on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $33.75.

Interpublic Group of Companies declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, February 12th that authorizes the company to buyback $155.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the business services provider to purchase up to 1.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

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.