Interpublic Group of Companies Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:IPG)

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

Interpublic Group of Companies Stock Up 9.5 %

Shares of NYSE:IPG traded up $2.77 during trading on Monday, reaching $32.03. 5,247,589 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,043,058. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 1.09. Interpublic Group of Companies has a 1-year low of $26.88 and a 1-year high of $35.17. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $30.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $30.40. The firm has a market cap of $11.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.80 and a beta of 1.10.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 22nd. The business services provider reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.70. Interpublic Group of Companies had a return on equity of 27.76% and a net margin of 7.44%. The business had revenue of $2.24 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.30 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.70 earnings per share. Interpublic Group of Companies’s revenue was down 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Interpublic Group of Companies will post 2.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Interpublic Group of Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be given a $0.33 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.12%. Interpublic Group of Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 62.26%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on IPG shares. Bank of America lowered their price target on Interpublic Group of Companies from $36.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. BNP Paribas downgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Monday, September 30th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 9th. UBS Group cut shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $34.00 to $29.00 in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $36.00 to $33.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $30.57.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its position in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies by 73.8% in the second quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 883 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 375 shares in the last quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Interpublic Group of Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. boosted its position in Interpublic Group of Companies by 652.2% during the 2nd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 1,038 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 900 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies in the 2nd quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Interpublic Group of Companies in the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.43% of the company’s stock.

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.