WPP (NYSE:WPP) Downgraded by StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of WPP (NYSE:WPP) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday.

Separately, Citigroup upgraded WPP to a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $46.00.

WPP Stock Up 2.1 %

Shares of NYSE:WPP opened at $47.40 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $46.66 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $48.04. The firm has a market cap of $10.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.97, a PEG ratio of 6.45 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.89. WPP has a 52-week low of $41.13 and a 52-week high of $54.21.

WPP Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 1st. Investors of record on Friday, October 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.954 per share. This is a positive change from WPP’s previous Semi-Annual dividend of $0.24. This represents a yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 11th. WPP’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.93%.

Institutional Trading of WPP

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WPP. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD lifted its holdings in WPP by 46.5% during the first quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD now owns 3,350,015 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $158,791,000 after acquiring an additional 1,062,708 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in WPP by 40.5% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,155,648 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $54,974,000 after acquiring an additional 332,914 shares during the period. Brandes Investment Partners LP increased its position in WPP by 47.9% in the fourth quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 567,653 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $27,003,000 after buying an additional 183,955 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can increased its position in WPP by 72.0% in the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 191,401 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $9,247,000 after buying an additional 80,102 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in WPP by 24.5% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 321,973 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $14,759,000 after buying an additional 63,363 shares during the last quarter. 4.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About WPP

WPP plc, a creative transformation company, provides communications, experience, commerce, and technology services in North America, the United Kingdom, Western Continental Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern Europe. The company operates through three segments: Global Integrated Agencies, Public Relations, and Specialist Agencies.