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How to buy WPP shares | 814p
Own WPP shares in just a few minutes. Share price changes are updated daily.
Fact checked
WPP plc (WPP) is a leading advertising agencies business based in the UK. It opened the day at 821.2p after a previous close of 815p. During the day the price has varied from a low of 811.6p to a high of 826.2p. The latest price was 814p (25 minute delay). WPP is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and employs 101,000 staff. All prices are listed in pence sterling.
How to buy shares in WPP
- Choose a platform. If you're a beginner, our share-dealing table below can help you choose.
- Open your account. You'll need your ID, bank details and national insurance number.
- Confirm your payment details. You'll need to fund your account with a bank transfer, debit card or credit card.
- Search the platform for stock code: WPP in this case.
- Research WPP shares. The platform should provide the latest information available.
- Buy your WPP shares. It's that simple.
What's in this guide?
- Can I buy shares in WPP?
- Has coronavirus impacted WPP shares?
- WPP shares summary
- Compare share dealing platforms
- Is WPP stock a buy or sell?
- WPP performance over time
- Is WPP suitable for ethical investing?
- Are WPP shares over-valued?
- WPP's financials
- How volatile are WPP shares?
- Does WPP pay a dividend?
- Other common questions
How has Coronavirus impacted WPP's share price?
Since the stock market crash in March caused by coronavirus, WPP's share price has had significant negative movement.
Its last market close was 657.2p, which is 32.12% down on its pre-crash value of 968.2p and 46.04% up on the lowest point reached during the March crash when the shares fell as low as 450p.
If you had bought £1,000 worth of WPP shares at the start of February 2020, those shares would have been worth £512.88 at the bottom of the March crash, and if you held on to them, then as of the last market close they'd be worth £687.89.
WPP share price
Use our graph to track the performance of WPP stocks over time.WPP shares at a glance
Information last updated 2020-12-18.
| Open | 821.2p |
|---|---|
| High | 826.2p |
| Low | 811.6p |
| Close | 814p |
| Previous close | 815p |
| Change | -1p |
| Change % | -0.123% |
| Volume | 4,743,543 |
Information last updated 2020-12-26.
| 52-week range | 418.7007p - 1009.9991p |
|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | 760.9371p |
| 200-day moving average | 657.9818p |
| Wall St. target price | 1078.52p |
| PE ratio | 11.5582 |
| Dividend yield | 0.1p (1.23%) |
| Earnings per share (TTM) | 49.5p |
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All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
Is it a good time to buy WPP stock?
The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. This is not a recommendation, however. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.
WPP price performance over time
Historical closes compared with the last close of 814p
| 1 month (2020-12-22) | 2.18% |
|---|---|
| 3 months (2020-10-22) | 24.46% |
| 6 months (2020-07-22) | 33.84% |
Is WPP under- or over-valued?
Valuing WPP stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of WPP's overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge the value of a stock.
WPP's P/E ratio
WPP's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 12x. In other words, WPP shares trade at around 12x recent earnings.
That's relatively low compared to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the FTSE 250 at the end of September 2019 (19.71). The low P/E ratio could mean that investors are pessimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're under-valued.
WPP's EBITDA
WPP's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is a whopping £1.6 billion.
The EBITDA is a measure of a WPP's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure a its profitability.
WPP financials
| Revenue TTM | £12.4 billion |
|---|---|
| Gross profit TTM | £2.4 billion |
| Return on assets TTM | -3.6% |
| Return on equity TTM | -27.82% |
| Profit margin | -18.65% |
| Book value | 4.409p |
| Market capitalisation | £10 billion |
TTM: trailing 12 months
WPP's environmental, social and governance track record
Environmental, social and governance (known as ESG) criteria are a set of three factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of companies like WPP.
When it comes to ESG scores, lower is better, and lower scores are generally associated with lower risk for would-be investors.
WPP's total ESG risk score
Total ESG risk: 14.57
Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and WPP's overall score of 14.57 (as at 01/01/2019) is excellent – landing it in it in the 8th percentile of companies rated in the same sector.
ESG scores are increasingly used to estimate the level of risk a company like WPP is exposed to within the areas of "environmental" (carbon footprint, resource use etc.), "social" (health and safety, human rights etc.), and "governance" (anti-corruption, tax transparency etc.).
WPP's environmental score
Environmental score: 1.55/100
WPP's environmental score of 1.55 puts it squarely in the 4th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that WPP is a leader in its sector terms of its environmental impact, and exposed to a lower level of risk.
WPP's social score
Social score: 10/100
WPP's social score of 10 puts it squarely in the 4th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that WPP is a leader in its sector when it comes to taking good care of its workforce and the communities it impacts.
WPP's governance score
Governance score: 8.52/100
WPP's governance score puts it squarely in the 4th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. That could suggest that WPP is a leader in its sector when it comes to responsible management and strategy, and exposed to a lower level of risk.
WPP's controversy score
Controversy score: 2/5
ESG scores also evaluate any incidences of controversy that a company has been involved in. A high-profile company, WPP scored a 2 out of 5 for controversy – the second-highest score possible, reflecting that WPP has, for the most part, managed to keep its nose clean.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) summary
WPP plc was last rated for ESG on: 2019-01-01.
| Total ESG score | 14.57 |
|---|---|
| Total ESG percentile | 8.16 |
| Environmental score | 1.55 |
| Environmental score percentile | 4 |
| Social score | 10 |
| Social score percentile | 4 |
| Governance score | 8.52 |
| Governance score percentile | 4 |
| Level of controversy | 2 |
WPP share dividends
Dividend payout ratio: 11707.92% of net profits
Recently WPP has paid out, on average, around 11707.92% of net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 1.23% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), WPP shareholders could enjoy a 1.23% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In WPP's case, that would currently equate to about 0.1p per share.
WPP's payout ratio would broadly be considered high, and as such this stock could appeal to those looking to generate an income. Bear in mind however that companies should normally also look to re-invest a decent amount of net profits to ensure future growth.
The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 8 October 2020 (the "ex-dividend date").
WPP share price volatility
Over the last 12 months, WPP's shares have ranged in value from as little as 418.7007p up to 1009.9991p. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".
Beta is a measure of a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (LSE average) beta is 1, while WPP's is 1.2124. This would suggest that WPP's shares are a little bit more volatile than the average for this exchange and represent, relatively-speaking, a slightly higher risk (but potentially also market-beating returns).
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WPP overview
WPP plc, a creative transformation company, provides communications, experience, commerce, and technology services in North America, the United Kingdom, Western Continental Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, Middle East, and Central and Eastern Europe. The company operates through three segments: Global Integrated Agencies, Public Relations, and Specialist Agencies. It engages in the business of planning and creation of marketing and branding campaigns; designs advertisements across all media; and provides media buying services including strategy and business development, media investment, and data, technology and content. The company provides advises to clients who are seeking to communicate with a range of stakeholders from consumers to governments and the business and financial communities. WPP plc was founded in 1985 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.
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