Interpublic Group reports Q3 adjusted EPS 70c, consensus 70c

Reports Q3 revenue $2.63B, consensus $2.3B. Philippe Krakowsky, CEO of Interpublic: “Net revenue in the third quarter was unchanged organically from the same period a year ago, which brings organic growth over the first nine months of this year to 1.0%. During the quarter, we saw solid contributions to growth from media services, sports marketing, data management and public relations. Our adjusted EBITA margin was 17.2%, underscoring continued operating discipline as we continue our enterprise-wide investments in growth and business transformation. Third quarter results include non-cash goodwill impairment expense of $232 million related to our digital specialist agencies and progress with the strategic sales process for R/GA and Huge. The quarter also continued to see progress in the evolution of our offerings and organizational structure, as we invest in the stronger, growing areas within the portfolio. The launch of Interact marks the next evolution of our marketing intelligence engine, which integrates data flows across the campaign lifecycle and consumer journey. This core technology connects our entire portfolio, from brand research as well as audience insights and audience creation, all the way through to creative ideation, production, commerce, and personalized CRM programs through the use of generative AI. It also powers media activation and optimization, including earned and owned channels, delivering better marketing results across media channels and touchpoints for our clients, in real time. Looking forward, we are seeing a strong new business pipeline, for both Q4 activity and longer-term AOR opportunities, and we remain focused on achieving organic growth of approximately 1% this year. At that level, we continue to target adjusted EBITA margin of 16.6%. Our long-standing commitment to capital returns remains an important priority and our strong balance sheet provides a solid foundation from which to continue to evolve our offerings and the solutions we provide for marketers.”