Fact based stock research
WPP (LSE:WPP)
JE00B8KF9B49
How to read the free ranks
For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".
Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".
Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.
Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.
(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).
(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.
WPP stock research in summary
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 28 (worse than 72% compared with investment alternatives), WPP (Advertising, United Kingdom) shares have somewhat below-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of WPP are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 92 (better than 92% of alternatives) but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 28), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 8), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 28, is a hold recommendation based on WPP's financial characteristics. As the company WPP's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 92) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 28) and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 8), it may be a risky investment, because debt in times of crises can make things worse. The good value, better than 92% of comparable companies, may indicate the company's future is challenging. If you believe that low growth is temporary or just due to a specific current event, you may conclude that the good value of the stock provides an attractive investment opportunity. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more
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360° Viewnew| Country | United Kingdom |
| Industry | Advertising |
| Index | FTSE All Shares, FTSE 100, FTSE 350, Dividends Europe, Diversity Europe, Multimedia |
| Size class | X-Large |
This stock has achievements: Top 10 Stock.
31-Jul-2025. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.
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Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.
Research History: WPP
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 79 |
|
88 |
|
84 |
|
92 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 19 |
|
17 |
|
32 |
|
28 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 19 |
|
10 |
|
12 |
|
8 |
|
| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 80 |
|
10 |
|
12 |
|
new |
|
| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 53 |
|
12 |
|
21 |
|
new |
|
Combined financial peformance in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 28 (worse than 72% compared with investment alternatives), WPP (Advertising, United Kingdom) shares have somewhat below-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of WPP are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 92 (better than 92% of alternatives) but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 28), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 8), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 28, is a hold recommendation based on WPP's financial characteristics. As the company WPP's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 92) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 28) and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 8), it may be a risky investment, because debt in times of crises can make things worse. The good value, better than 92% of comparable companies, may indicate the company's future is challenging. If you believe that low growth is temporary or just due to a specific current event, you may conclude that the good value of the stock provides an attractive investment opportunity. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 79 |
|
88 |
|
84 |
|
92 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 19 |
|
17 |
|
32 |
|
28 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 19 |
|
10 |
|
12 |
|
8 |
|
| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 25 |
|
14 |
|
23 |
|
28 |
|
Value Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 92 (better than 92% compared with alternatives) for 2025, WPP shares are significantly less expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators that are all above average for WPP. Price-to-Sales is 85 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 85% of comparable companies, indicating a good value for WPP's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price-to-Profits, more favorable than for 86% of alternatives, and this is also true for the Price-to-Book capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Capital Rank of 62. Compared with other companies in the same industry, dividend yields of WPP are expected to be higher than for 79% of all competitors (a Dividend Yield rank of 79). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 92, is a buy recommendation based on WPP's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Since all value metrics are above the industry average, there is no objection to investing in WPP based on its detailed value metrics. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision. ...read more
| VALUE METRICS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | 75 |
|
81 |
|
74 |
|
85 |
|
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | 73 |
|
81 |
|
76 |
|
86 |
|
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | 60 |
|
57 |
|
61 |
|
62 |
|
| DIVIDEND YIELD | ||||||||
| DIVIDEND YIELD | 84 |
|
86 |
|
82 |
|
79 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | 79 |
|
88 |
|
84 |
|
92 |
|
Growth Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 28 (better than 28% compared with alternatives), WPP shows a below-average growth dynamic in its industry. There is limited momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for WPP. Only Capital Growth has a good rank of 82, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital more than 23% of its competitors. The other three indicators are pointing South: Sales Growth has a rank of 33 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow less than 67% of its competitors. Profit Growth with a rank of 23 and Stock Returns with a rank of 14 are also low (below 86% of alternative investments). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 28, is a hold recommendation for growth and momentum investors. The good news from the invested capital side is surprising. A company with disappointing revenues, profits, and disappointed shareholders typically doesn't invest above average. Overall, the growth momentum for WPP is thus negative. As it is intriguing to see that company executives are optimistic about their investment policy, it is worthwhile looking into the details of the capital investment projects. They may indicate future growth and profits and thus if accompanied by a good value, a sign of good timing to invest in the stock. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is limited here. ...read more
| GROWTH METRICS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REVENUE GROWTH | ||||||||
| REVENUE GROWTH | 10 |
|
10 |
|
12 |
|
33 |
|
| PROFIT GROWTH | ||||||||
| PROFIT GROWTH | 46 |
|
36 |
|
34 |
|
23 |
|
| CAPITAL GROWTH | ||||||||
| CAPITAL GROWTH | 12 |
|
34 |
|
50 |
|
82 |
|
| STOCK RETURNS | ||||||||
| STOCK RETURNS | 81 |
|
37 |
|
50 |
|
14 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | 19 |
|
17 |
|
32 |
|
28 |
|
Safety Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 8 (better than 8% compared with alternatives), the company WPP has much riskier financing practices than comparable other companies, which means that their overall debt burden is significantly above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of WPP is also risky, it only means that the company is on the riskier side in respect to bankruptcy in case things turn sour, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with all three metrics below average for WPP. Liquidity is at 40, meaning that the company generates less profit to service its debt than 60% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the riskier side when it comes to debt service. Even worse, Leverage is at a rank of 9, meaning the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 91% of its competitors. Finally, Refinancing is at a rank of 4 which means that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is above average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 96% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 8 (worse than 92% compared with alternatives), WPP has a financing structure that is significantly riskier than that of its competitors. This combination is rather dangerous in most situations. Only very promising companies with bright future outlooks and stellar reputations can operate with such risky financing. Investors should look at Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks to confirm a very positive outlook or be careful with investing in stocks of WPP because it may suffer significantly in case of future difficulties. ...read more
| SAFETY METRICS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 13 |
|
17 |
|
20 |
|
9 |
|
| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 24 |
|
8 |
|
14 |
|
4 |
|
| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 31 |
|
30 |
|
24 |
|
40 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 19 |
|
10 |
|
12 |
|
8 |
|
Sentiment Metrics in Detail
| SENTIMENT | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANALYST OPINIONS | ||||||||
| ANALYST OPINIONS | n/a |
|
15 |
|
7 |
|
new |
|
| OPINIONS CHANGE | ||||||||
| OPINIONS CHANGE | 53 |
|
20 |
|
48 |
|
new |
|
| PRO HOLDINGS | ||||||||
| PRO HOLDINGS | 77 |
|
34 |
|
30 |
|
new |
|
| MARKET PULSE | ||||||||
| MARKET PULSE | 80 |
|
36 |
|
38 |
|
new |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | 80 |
|
10 |
|
12 |
|
new |
|
Free stock analysis by the purely fact based Obermatt Method for WPP from July 31, 2025.
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