INTERPUBLIC GROUP OF COMPANIES, INC. - Annual Report: 2014 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K



ý		ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014

Commission file number: 1-6686

THE INTERPUBLIC GROUP OF COMPANIES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



Delaware		13-1024020
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

1114 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(212) 704-1200

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:



Title of each class		Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.10 par value		New York Stock Exchange

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes ý No ¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

Yes ¨ No ý

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes ý No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Yes ý No ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Yes ¨ No ý

As of June 30, 2014, the aggregate market value of the shares of registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates was approximately $8.2 billion. The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding as of February 13, 2015 was 412,339,107.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The following sections of the Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on May 21, 2015 are incorporated by reference in Part III: “Election of Directors,” “Director Selection Process,” “Code of Conduct,” “Principal Committees of The Board of Directors,” “Audit Committee,” “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance,” “Executive Compensation,” “Non-Management Director Compensation,” “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” “Compensation and Leadership Talent Committee Report,” “Outstanding Shares and Ownership of Common Stock,” “Review and Approval of Transactions with Related Persons,” “Director Independence” and “Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.”

TABLE OF CONTENTS



		Page No.
PART I
Item 1.	Business	2
Item 1A.	Risk Factors	6
Item 1B.	Unresolved Staff Comments	9
Item 2.	Properties	9
Item 3.	Legal Proceedings	9
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	10

PART II
Item 5.	Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities	11
Item 6.	Selected Financial Data	13
Item 7.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	14
Item 7A.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	34
Item 8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data	36
Item 9.	Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure	78
Item 9A.	Controls and Procedures	78
Item 9B.	Other Information	78

PART III
Item 10.	Directors, Executives Officers and Corporate Governance	79
Item 11.	Executive Compensation	79
Item 12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters	79
Item 13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence	80
Item 14.	Principal Accountant Fees and Services	80

PART IV
Item 15.	Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules	81

STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING DISCLOSURE

This annual report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements. Statements in this report that are not historical facts, including statements about management’s beliefs and expectations, constitute forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “would,” “estimate,” “continue” or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current plans, estimates and projections, and are subject to change based on a number of factors, including those outlined under Item 1A, Risk Factors, in this report. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and we undertake no obligation to update publicly any of them in light of new information or future events.

Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the following:


•	potential effects of a challenging economy, for example, on the demand for our advertising and marketing services, on our clients’ financial condition and on our business or financial condition;


•	our ability to attract new clients and retain existing clients;


•	our ability to retain and attract key employees;


•	risks associated with assumptions we make in connection with our critical accounting estimates, including changes in assumptions associated with any effects of a weakened economy;


•	potential adverse effects if we are required to recognize impairment charges or other adverse accounting-related developments;


•	risks associated with the effects of global, national and regional economic and political conditions, including counterparty risks and fluctuations in economic growth rates, interest rates and currency exchange rates; and


•	developments from changes in the regulatory and legal environment for advertising and marketing and communications services companies around the world.

Investors should carefully consider these factors and the additional risk factors outlined in more detail under Item 1A, Risk Factors, in this report.

PART I



Item 1.	Business

The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (“Interpublic,” “IPG,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) was incorporated in Delaware in September 1930 under the name of McCann-Erickson Incorporated as the successor to the advertising agency businesses founded in 1902 by A.W. Erickson and in 1911 by Harrison K. McCann. The company has operated under the Interpublic name since January 1961.

About Us

We are one of the world’s premier global advertising and marketing services companies. Through our 47,400 employees in all major world markets, our companies specialize in consumer advertising, digital marketing, communications planning and media buying, public relations and specialized communications disciplines. Our agencies create customized marketing programs for clients that range in scale from large global marketers to regional and local clients. Comprehensive global services are critical to effectively serve our multinational and local clients in markets throughout the world, as they seek to build brands, increase sales of their products and services and gain market share.

The work we produce for our clients is specific to their unique needs. Our solutions vary from project-based activity involving one agency to long-term, fully integrated campaigns created by multiple IPG agencies working together. With offices in over 100 countries, we can operate in a single region or deliver global integrated programs.

The role of our holding company is to provide resources and support to ensure that our agencies can best meet clients’ needs. Based in New York City, our holding company sets company-wide financial objectives and corporate strategy, establishes financial management and operational controls, guides personnel policy, directs collaborative inter-agency programs, conducts investor relations, manages corporate social responsibility programs, provides enterprise risk management and oversees mergers and acquisitions. In addition, we provide certain centralized functional services that offer our companies operational efficiencies, including accounting and finance, executive compensation management and recruitment assistance, employee benefits, marketing information retrieval and analysis, internal audit, legal services, real estate expertise and travel services.

Our Brands

Interpublic is home to some of the world’s best-known and most innovative communications specialists. We have three global networks, McCann Worldgroup ("McCann"), Foote, Cone & Belding ("FCB") and Lowe and Partners ("Lowe"), which provide integrated, large-scale advertising and marketing solutions for clients. Our global media services companies include UM and Initiative, which operate under the IPG Mediabrands umbrella. We also have a range of best-in-class global specialized communications assets as well as premier domestic integrated and digital agencies that are industry leaders.

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McCann Worldgroup is a leading global marketing solutions network, comprised of agencies that emphasize creativity, innovation and performance. McCann Erickson is one of the world's largest advertising agency networks; MRM//McCann conducts digital marketing and relationship management; Momentum oversees event marketing and promotion; McCann Health directs professional and consumer healthcare communications; and Craft Worldwide is the network's global adaptation and production arm. UM (media), Weber Shandwick (public relations), and FutureBrand (brand consulting) align with McCann Worldgroup to deliver fully-integrated solutions.

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FCB is a global, fully integrated marketing communications company focused on changing consumer behavior for the benefit of their clients, colleagues and communities. With more than 8,000 people from 120 offices in 80 countries, the network brings a strong understanding of local markets and cultures while continuing a heritage of creativity and success dating from 1873. The company has its roots in both creative, brand-building consumer advertising and behavioral, data-driven direct marketing.

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Lowe and Partners is a global network of distinctive and diverse agencies, rich in local culture, yet able to deliver at scale. The network delivers brand strategy, communications planning and through-the-line advertising; Lowe Profero is the network’s digital marketing arm; and Lowe Open is its strategic activation and shopper marketing unit. Lowe and Partners is consistently ranked among the most awarded agency networks in the world, based on both creativity and effectiveness.

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IPG Mediabrands makes investment decisions for tens of billions of dollars of client marketing budgets. Our global media agencies UM and Initiative deliver business results by advising clients on how to navigate an increasingly complex and digital marketing landscape through integrated, intelligence-driven marketing strategies. Specialist brands within IPG Mediabrands focus on areas such as media innovation, media forecasting, the targeting and aggregation of audiences in the digital space, hyper-local marketing, media barter and a range of other capabilities. IPG Mediabrands is committed to driving automated buying, pay-for-performance and digital innovation.

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We also have exceptional global marketing specialists across a range of disciplines. Our industry-leading public relations agencies such as Weber Shandwick and Golin have expertise in every significant area of communication management. Jack Morton is a global brand experience agency, and FutureBrand is a leading brand consultancy. Octagon is a global sports, entertainment and lifestyle marketing agency. Our digital specialist agencies, led by R/GA, Huge and MRM//McCann, are among the industry's most award-winning digital agencies. Our premier healthcare communications specialists reside within our global creative networks.

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Our domestic integrated independent agencies include some of advertising's most recognizable and storied agency brands, including Carmichael Lynch, Deutsch, Hill Holliday, The Martin Agency and Mullen. The marketing programs created by these agencies incorporate all media channels, customer relationship management (CRM), public relations and other marketing activities and have helped build some of the most powerful brands in the U.S., across all sectors and industries.

We list approximately 90 of our companies on our website under the "Our Agencies" section, with descriptions, case studies, social media channels and office locations for each. To learn more about our broad range of capabilities, visit our website at www.interpublic.com. Information on our website is not part of this report.

Market Strategy

We operate in a media landscape that continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Media channels continue to fragment and clients face an increasingly complex consumer environment. To stay ahead of these challenges and to achieve our objectives, we have made and continue to make investments in creative and strategic talent in areas including fast-growth digital marketing channels, high-growth geographic regions and strategic world markets. We consistently review opportunities within our company to enhance our operations through mergers and strategic alliances, as well as the development of internal programs that encourage intra-company collaboration. As appropriate, we also develop relationships with technology and emerging media companies that are building leading-edge marketing tools that complement our agencies' skill sets and capabilities.

In recent years, we have taken several major strategic steps to position our agencies as leaders in the global advertising and communications market. These include:


•	Investment in senior talent: We successfully completed management succession at our two largest global advertising networks, a number of our US integrated agencies, key media operations and leading marketing services firms. We continue to acquire and develop top strategic, creative and digital talent.


•	Growing digital capabilities: Our investments in talent and technology – organically growing digital capabilities such as search, social, UX, content creation, eCRM and mobile across the portfolio – promise to drive further growth in this dynamic sector of our business. We continue to internationalize our powerful digital specialist agencies.


•	Innovative media offering: We launched IPG Mediabrands to reinvent how we plan, buy and measure media investment for clients. Since then, our company has consistently been a leader in delivering fully competitive, efficient and effective traditional media buying to major clients, as well as automated digital ad buying, data and analytics.


•	Investment in emerging markets: We strengthened our position in emerging markets by driving organic growth as well as completing strategic acquisitions in Asia and Latin America, a region in which we have led the industry in organic growth.


•	Integrated marketing solutions: A differentiating aspect of our business is our utilization of “open architecture” solutions that integrate the best talent from throughout the organization to fulfill the needs of our leading clients.

Together, these steps have built a culture of strategic creativity and high performance across IPG, resulting in industry-leading new business performance, as well as increased honors and awards for our company. Since its launch in 2007, IPG Mediabrands has delivered strong growth and for 2014 was named Mediapost's "Media Holding Company of the Year" for the second consecutive year. Our best-in-class public relations offering led The Holmes Report to name Weber Shandwick its “Global Agency of the Year” in 2014 and Interpublic Group its “Holding Company of the Year” in 2013, the first and only time the award was given for this category. In 2013, McCann produced the most-awarded digital work of the year and was named the most-awarded agency in the world by The Gunn Report. In early 2015, Advertising Age named three IPG agencies to its prestigious A-List, Deutsch, Weber Shandwick, and R/GA, which was also awarded "Agency of the Year." Advertising Age also honored the CEO of McCann Worldgroup with its "Executive of the Year" recognition. This level of industry recognition in all marketing disciplines is unprecedented in our company’s history.

Digital Growth

Demand for our digital marketing services continues to evolve rapidly. In order to meet this need and provide high-value resources to clients, we have focused on embedding digital talent and technology throughout the organization. This reflects our belief that digital marketing should be integrated within all of our companies. This structure mirrors the way in which consumers

incorporate digital media into their other media habits and, ultimately, their day-to-day lives. We continue to invest in recruiting and developing digital expertise at all our agencies and in all marketing disciplines.

To meet the changing needs of the marketplace, we have consistently acquired and invested in specialty digital assets, such as Genuine (digital events), Halesway (digital healthcare), Lowe Profero (global digital network), Optaros (digital commerce), Placed (mobile attribution), Promoqube (social media), Traffic4U (search engine marketing) and Vowel (digital content development). We continue to invest in existing assets such as Cadreon (audience management platform), The IPG Media Lab, Huge, MRM//McCann, as well as R/GA. These companies have unique capabilities and service their own client rosters while also serving as key digital partners to many of the agencies within IPG.

Fast-Growth Regions

We continue to invest and expand our presence in high-growth geographic regions. In recent years, we have made significant investments in Brazil and India, further strengthening our leadership position in these high-growth, developing markets. Transactions in Brazil include the acquisitions of E/OU, a digital agency, as well as Preview Propaganda. Recent acquisitions in India include Interactive Avenues, a digital media agency, End to End, a database marketing agency, and Corporate Voice, a communications agency. Our operations in India are best-in-class, and we will continue to invest in partnerships and talent in this key market. We also hold a majority stake in the Middle East Communication Networks (“MCN”), among the region's premier marketing services companies. MCN is headquartered in Dubai, with 65 offices across 14 countries. Our partner in Russia is a leader in that country. In China, where we operate with all of our global networks and across the full spectrum of marketing services, we continue to invest organically in the talent of our agency brands. Additional areas of investment include other key strategic markets in Asia Pacific, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa.

Acquisition Strategy

A disciplined acquisition strategy, focused on high-growth capabilities and regions of the world, is one component of growing our services in today's rapidly-changing marketing services and media landscape. When an outstanding resource or a strong tactical fit becomes available, we have been opportunistic in making tuck-in, niche acquisitions that enhance our service offerings. We will continue to focus on digital and marketing services agencies throughout the world and on key international growth markets.

In recent years, IPG has acquired agencies across the marketing spectrum, including firms specializing in digital, mobile marketing, social media, healthcare communications and public relations, as well as agencies with full-service capabilities. These acquired agencies have been integrated into one of our global networks or specialist agencies.

Financial Objectives

Our financial goals include competitive organic revenue growth and operating margin expansion, which we expect will further strengthen our balance sheet and total liquidity and increase value to our shareholders. Accordingly, we remain focused on meeting the evolving needs of our clients while concurrently managing our cost structure. We continually seek greater efficiency in the delivery of our services, focusing on more effective resource utilization, including the productivity of our employees, real estate, information technology and shared services, such as finance, human resources and legal. The improvements we have made and continue to make in our financial reporting and business information systems in recent years allow us more timely and actionable insights from our global operations. Our disciplined approach to our balance sheet and liquidity provides us with a solid financial foundation and financial flexibility to manage and grow our business.

We believe that our strategy and execution position us to meet our financial goals and to deliver long-term shareholder value.

Financial Reporting Segments

We have two reportable segments, which are Integrated Agency Networks (“IAN”) and Constituency Management Group (“CMG”). IAN is comprised of McCann, FCB, Lowe, IPG Mediabrands, our digital specialist agencies and our domestic integrated agencies. CMG is comprised of a number of our specialist marketing services offerings. We also report results for the “Corporate and other” group. See Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

Principal Markets

Our agencies are located in over 100 countries, including every significant world market. Our geographic revenue breakdown is listed below.



	% of Total Revenue
	2014		2013		2012
Domestic	55.5	%	55.8	%	54.7	%
United Kingdom	9.1	%	8.0	%	8.2	%
Continental Europe	10.7	%	11.2	%	11.8	%
Asia Pacific	12.2	%	12.2	%	12.0	%
Latin America	6.2	%	6.5	%	6.5	%
Other	6.3	%	6.3	%	6.8	%

For further information regarding revenues and long-lived assets on a geographical basis for each of the last three years, see Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Sources of Revenue

Our revenues are primarily derived from the planning and execution of multi-channel advertising, marketing and communications programs around the world. Our revenues are directly dependent upon the advertising, marketing and corporate communications requirements of our existing clients and our ability to win new clients. Most of our client contracts are individually negotiated and, accordingly, the terms of client engagements and the bases on which we earn commissions and fees vary significantly. As is customary in the industry, our contracts generally provide for termination by either party on relatively short notice, usually 90 days.

Revenues for the creation, planning and placement of advertising are determined primarily on a negotiated fee basis and, to a lesser extent, on a commission basis. Fees are usually calculated to reflect hourly rates plus proportional overhead and a mark-up. Many clients include an incentive compensation component in their total compensation package. This provides added revenue based on achieving mutually agreed-upon qualitative or quantitative metrics within specified time periods. Commissions are earned based on services provided and are usually derived from a percentage or fee over the total cost to complete the assignment. Commissions can also be derived when clients pay us the gross rate billed by media and we pay for media at a lower net rate; the difference is the commission that we earn, which we either retain in full or share with the client depending on the nature of the applicable services agreement.

We also generate revenue in negotiated fees from our public relations, sales promotion, event marketing, sports and entertainment marketing and corporate and brand identity services.

In most of our businesses, our agencies enter into commitments to pay production and media costs on behalf of clients. To the extent possible, we pay production and media charges after we have received funds from our clients. Generally, we act as the client’s agent rather than the primary obligor. In some instances we agree with the provider that we will only be liable to pay the production and media costs after the client has paid us for the charges.

Our revenue is typically lowest in the first quarter and highest in the fourth quarter. This reflects the seasonal spending of our clients, incentives earned at year end on various contracts and project work that is typically completed during the fourth quarter. Fee revenue recognized on a completed contract basis also contributes to the higher seasonal revenues experienced in the fourth quarter because the majority of our contracts end at December 31.



	Consolidated Revenues for the Three Months Ended
	2014			2013			2012
(Amounts in Millions)			% of Total			% of Total			% of Total
March 31	$	1,637.5	21.7%	$	1,543.0	21.7%	$	1,506.8	21.7%
June 30	1,851.4		24.6%	1,756.2		24.7%	1,715.7		24.7%
September 30	1,841.1		24.4%	1,700.4		23.9%	1,670.4		24.0%
December 31	2,207.1		29.3%	2,122.7		29.7%	2,063.3		29.6%
	$	7,537.1		$	7,122.3		$	6,956.2

See Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on our revenue recognition accounting policies.

Clients

Our large and diverse client base includes many of the most recognizable companies and brands throughout the world. Our holding company structure allows us to maintain a diversified client base across and within a full range of industry sectors. In the aggregate, our top ten clients based on revenue accounted for approximately 20% and 21% of revenue in 2014 and 2013, respectively. Our largest client accounted for approximately 5% of revenue for 2014 and 2013. Based on revenue for the year ended December 31, 2014, our five largest clients (in alphabetical order) were General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, L'Oréal, Samsung and Unilever. We represent several different brands or divisions of each of these clients in a number of geographic markets, as well as provide services across multiple advertising and marketing disciplines, in each case through more than one of our agency brands. Representation of a client rarely means that we handle advertising for all brands or product lines of the client in all geographical locations. Any client may transfer its business from one of our agencies to another one of our agencies or to a competing agency, and a client may reduce its marketing budget at any time.

We operate in a highly competitive advertising and marketing communications industry. Our operating companies compete against other large multinational advertising and marketing communications companies as well as numerous independent and niche agencies to win new clients and maintain existing client relationships.

Personnel

As of December 31, 2014, we employed approximately 47,400 people, of whom approximately 19,200 were employed in the United States. Because of the service character of the advertising and marketing communications business, the quality of personnel is of crucial importance to our continuing success. We conduct extensive employee training and development throughout our agencies and benchmark our compensation programs against those of our industry for their competitiveness and effectiveness in recruitment and retention. There is keen competition for qualified employees.

Available Information

Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to these reports are available, free of charge, on our website at www.interpublic.com under the "Investor Relations" section, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such reports with, or furnish them to, the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. The public may also read and copy materials we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room, which is located at 100 F Street, NE, Room 1580, Washington, DC 20549. You can obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Interpublic Group Code of Conduct and the charters for each of the Audit Committee, Compensation and Leadership Talent Committee and the Corporate Governance Committee are available, free of charge, on our website at www.interpublic.com in the "Corporate Governance" subsection of the "About" section, or by writing to The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc., 1114 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Secretary. Information on our website is not part of this report.



Item 1A.	Risk Factors

We are subject to a variety of possible risks that could adversely impact our revenues, results of operations or financial condition. Some of these risks relate to general economic and financial conditions, while others are more specific to us and the industry in which we operate. The following factors set out potential risks we have identified that could adversely affect us. The risks described below may not be the only risks we face. Additional risks that we do not yet know of, or that we currently think are immaterial, could also have a negative impact on our business operations or financial condition. See also Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Disclosure.


•	We operate in a highly competitive industry.

The advertising and marketing communications business is highly competitive. Our agencies and media services compete with other agencies and other providers of creative, marketing or media services, to maintain existing client relationships and to win new business. Our competitors include not only other large multinational advertising and marketing communications companies, but also smaller entities that operate in local or regional markets as well as new forms of market participants.

The client’s perception of the quality of our agencies’ creative work and its relationships with key personnel at the Company or our agencies are important factors that affect our competitive position. An agency’s ability to serve clients, particularly large international clients, on a broad geographic basis and across a range of services may also be an important competitive consideration. On the other hand, because an agency’s principal asset is its people, freedom of entry into the business is almost unlimited and a small agency is, on occasion, able to take all or some portion of a client’s account from a much larger competitor.

Many companies put their advertising and marketing communications business up for competitive review from time to time, and clients may choose to terminate their contracts on a relatively short time frame. We have won and lost client accounts in the past as a result of such periodic competitions. In the aggregate, our top ten clients based on revenue accounted for approximately 20% of revenue in 2014. A substantial decline in a large client’s advertising and marketing spending, or the loss of a significant part of its business, could have a material adverse effect upon our business and results of operations.

Our ability to attract new clients and to retain existing clients may also, in some cases, be limited by clients’ policies or perceptions about conflicts of interest. These policies can, in some cases, prevent one agency, or even different agencies under our ownership, from performing similar services for competing products or companies.


•	Our results of operations are highly susceptible to unfavorable economic conditions.

Economic conditions continue to vary across geographic regions, and areas of uncertainty about the prospects for continued improvements in the global economy or economic conditions in certain regions, and a degree of caution on the part of some marketers, continue to have an effect on the demand for advertising and marketing communication services. Our industry can be affected more severely than other sectors by an economic downturn and can recover more slowly than the economy in general. In the past, some clients have responded to weak economic and financial conditions by reducing their marketing budgets, which include discretionary components that are easier to reduce in the short term than other operating expenses. This pattern may recur in the future. Furthermore, unexpected revenue shortfalls can result in misalignments of costs and revenues, resulting in a negative impact to our operating margins. If our business is significantly adversely affected by unfavorable economic conditions, the negative impact on our revenue could pose a challenge to our operating income and cash generation from operations.


•	We may lose or fail to attract and retain key employees and management personnel.

Our employees, including creative, digital, research, media and account specialists, and their skills and relationships with clients, are among our most valuable assets. An important aspect of our competitiveness is our ability to identify and develop the appropriate talent and to attract and retain key employees and management personnel. Our ability to do so is influenced by a variety of factors, including the compensation we award and other factors which may be beyond our control. In addition, the advertising and marketing services industry is characterized by a high degree of employee mobility. If we were to fail to attract key personnel or lose them to competitors or clients, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected.


•	We may not be able to meet our performance targets and milestones.

From time to time, we communicate to the public certain targets and milestones for our financial and operating performance that are intended to provide metrics against which to evaluate our performance. They should not be understood as predictions or guidance about our expected performance. Our ability to meet any target or milestone is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties, and we caution investors against placing undue reliance on them. See Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Disclosure.


•	Our financial condition could be adversely affected if our available liquidity is insufficient.

We maintain a $1 billion committed credit facility to increase our financial flexibility (the “Credit Agreement”). If credit under the Credit Agreement were unavailable or insufficient, our liquidity could be adversely affected. The Credit Agreement contains financial covenants, and events like a material economic downturn could adversely affect our ability to comply with them. For example, compliance with the financial covenants would be more difficult to achieve if we were to experience substantially lower revenues, a substantial increase in client defaults or sizable asset impairment charges. If we were unable to comply with any of the financial covenants contained in the Credit Agreement, we could be required to seek an amendment or waiver from our lenders, and our costs under the Credit Agreement could increase. If we were unable to obtain a necessary amendment or waiver, the Credit Agreement could be terminated, and any outstanding amounts could be subject to acceleration. Furthermore, the Credit Agreement includes commitments from a syndicate of financial institutions, and if any of them were unable to perform and no other bank assumed that institution’s commitment, the availability of credit under that agreement would be correspondingly reduced.

In most of our businesses, our agencies enter into commitments to pay production and media costs on behalf of clients. The amounts involved substantially exceed our revenues and primarily affect the level of accounts receivable, expenditures billable to clients, accounts payable and accrued liabilities. To the extent possible, we pay production and media charges only after we have received funds from our clients, although, if clients are unable to pay for commitments that we have entered into on their behalf, there could be an adverse effect on our working capital, which would negatively impact our operating cash flow.

Furthermore, if our business or financial needs lead us to seek new or additional sources of liquidity, there can be no guarantee that we would be able to access any new sources of liquidity on commercially reasonable terms or at all. For further discussion of our liquidity profile and outlook, see “Liquidity and Capital Resources” in Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.


•	International business risks could adversely affect our operations.

We are a global business. Operations outside the United States represent a significant portion of our revenues, approximately 44% in 2014. These operations are exposed to risks that include local legislation, currency variation, exchange control restrictions and difficult political or economic conditions. We also must comply with applicable U.S., local and other international anti-corruption laws, which can be complex and stringent, in all jurisdictions where we operate. In developing countries or regions, we may face further risks, such as slower receipt of payments, nationalization, social and economic instability, currency repatriation restrictions and undeveloped or inconsistently enforced commercial laws. These risks may limit our ability to grow our business and effectively manage our operations in those countries.

In addition, because a significant portion of our business is denominated in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar, such as the Argentine Peso, Australian Dollar, Brazilian Real, British Pound Sterling, Canadian Dollar, Chilean Peso, Euro, Indian Rupee, Japanese Yen and South African Rand, fluctuations in exchange rates between the U.S. Dollar and such currencies may materially affect our financial results. Concerns persist in Europe in particular over the debt burdens of certain countries that use the Euro as their currency and the overall stability of the Euro. Possible consequences, such as the re-introduction of individual currencies in countries currently employing the Euro, the dissolution of the Euro as a common currency or market perceptions and uncertainties about the possibility and impact of such events, could adversely affect the value of our Euro-denominated assets and results of operations.


•	If our clients experience financial distress, their weakened financial position could negatively affect our own financial position and results.

We have a large and diverse client base, and at any given time, one or more of our clients may experience financial difficulty, file for bankruptcy protection or go out of business. Unfavorable economic and financial conditions could result in an increase in client financial difficulties that affect us. The direct impact on us could include reduced revenues and write-offs of accounts receivable and expenditures billable to clients, and if these effects were severe, the indirect impact could include impairments of intangible assets, credit facility covenant violations and reduced liquidity. For a description of our client base, see “Clients” in Item 1, Business.


•	We are subject to industry regulations and other legal or reputational risks that could restrict our activities or negatively impact our performance or financial condition.

Our industry is subject to government regulation and other governmental action, both domestic and foreign. Advertisers and consumer groups may challenge advertising through legislation, regulation, judicial actions or otherwise, for example on the grounds that the advertising is false and deceptive or injurious to public welfare. Our business is also subject to specific rules, prohibitions, media restrictions, labeling disclosures and warning requirements applicable to advertising for certain products. Existing and proposed laws and regulations, in particular in the European Union and the United States, concerning user privacy, use of personal information and on-line tracking technologies could affect the efficacy and profitability of internet-based and digital marketing. Legislators, agencies and other governmental units may also continue to initiate proposals to ban the advertising of specific products, such as alcohol or tobacco, and to impose taxes on or deny deductions for advertising, which, if successful, may hinder our ability to accomplish our clients’ goals and have an adverse effect on advertising expenditures and, consequently, on our revenues. Furthermore, we could suffer reputational risk as a result of governmental or legal action or from undertaking work that may be challenged by consumer groups or considered controversial.


•	We face risks associated with our acquisitions and other investments.

We regularly undertake acquisitions and other investments that we believe will enhance our service offerings to our clients. These transactions can involve significant challenges and risks, including that the transaction does not advance our business strategy or fails to produce a satisfactory return on our investment. While our evaluation of any potential acquisition includes business, legal and financial due diligence with the goal of identifying and evaluating the material risks involved, we may be unsuccessful in ascertaining or evaluating all such risks. Though we typically structure our acquisitions to provide for future contingent purchase payments that are based on the future performance of the acquired entity, our forecasts of the investment’s future performance also factor into the initial consideration. When actual financial results differ, our returns on the investment could be adversely affected.

We may also experience difficulty integrating new employees, businesses, assets or systems into our organization, including with respect to our internal policies and required controls. We may face reputational and legal risks in situations where we have a significant minority investment but limited control over the investment's operations. Furthermore, it may take longer than anticipated to realize the expected benefits from these transactions, or those benefits may ultimately be smaller than anticipated or may not be realized at all. Talent is among our most valuable assets, and we also may not realize the intended benefits of a transaction if we fail to retain targeted personnel. Acquisition and integration activity may also divert management’s attention and other corporate resources from other business needs. If we fail to realize the intended advantages of any given investment or

acquisition, or if we do not identify or correctly measure the associated risks and liabilities, our results of operations and financial position could be adversely affected.


•	We rely extensively on information technology systems and could face cybersecurity risks.

We rely extensively and increasingly on information technologies and infrastructure to manage our business, including digital storage of marketing strategies and client information, developing new business opportunities and processing business transactions. We operate in many respects on a decentralized basis, with a large number of agencies and legal entities, and the resulting size, diversity and disparity of our technology systems and complications in implementing standardized technologies and procedures could increase the potential vulnerability of our systems to breakdown, malicious intrusion or random attack. Likewise, data privacy breaches, as well as improper use of social media, by employees and others may pose a risk that sensitive data could be exposed to third parties or to the general public. Any such breakdowns or breaches in our systems or data-protection policies could adversely affect our reputation or business.


•	Our earnings would be adversely affected if we were required to recognize asset impairment charges or increase our deferred tax valuation allowances.

We evaluate all of our long-lived assets (including goodwill, other intangible assets and fixed assets), investments and deferred tax assets for possible impairment or realizability annually or whenever there is an indication that they are impaired or not realizable. If certain criteria are met, we are required to record an impairment charge or valuation allowance.

As of December 31, 2014, we have substantial amounts of long-lived assets, deferred tax assets and investments on our Consolidated Balance Sheet, including approximately $3.7 billion of goodwill. Future events, including our financial performance, market valuation of us or market multiples of comparable companies, loss of a significant client’s business or strategic decisions, could cause us to conclude that impairment indicators exist and that the asset values associated with long-lived assets, deferred tax assets and investments may have become impaired. Any significant impairment loss would have an adverse impact on our reported earnings in the period in which the charge is recognized. For further discussion of goodwill and other intangible assets, and our sensitivity analysis of our valuation of these assets, see “Critical Accounting Estimates” in Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.


•	Downgrades of our credit ratings could adversely affect us.

Because ratings are an important factor influencing our ability to access capital and the terms of any new indebtedness, including covenants and interest rates, we could be adversely affected if our credit ratings are downgraded or if they are significantly weaker than those of our competitors. Our clients and vendors may also consider our credit profile when negotiating contract terms, and if they were to change the terms on which they deal with us, it could have an adverse effect on our liquidity.



Item 1B.	Unresolved Staff Comments

None.



Item 2.	Properties

Substantially all of our office space is leased from third parties. Certain leases are subject to rent reviews or contain escalation clauses, and certain of our leases require the payment of various operating expenses, which may also be subject to escalation. Physical properties include leasehold improvements, furniture, fixtures and equipment located in our offices. We believe that facilities leased or owned by us are adequate for the purposes for which they are currently used and are well maintained. See Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on our lease commitments.



Item 3.	Legal Proceedings



Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

Executive Officers of IPG



Name	Age	Office
Michael I. Roth¹	69	Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
Andrew Bonzani	51	Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Christopher F. Carroll	48	Senior Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer
Julie M. Connors	43	Senior Vice President, Audit and Chief Risk Officer
Philippe Krakowsky	52	Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Talent Officer
Frank Mergenthaler	54	Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer


1	Also a Director

There is no family relationship among any of the executive officers.

Mr. Roth became our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer in January 2005. Prior to that time, Mr. Roth served as our Chairman of the Board from July 2004 to January 2005. Mr. Roth served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The MONY Group Inc. from February 1994 to June 2004. Mr. Roth has been a member of the Board of Directors of IPG since February 2002. He is also non-executive chairman of the board of Pitney Bowes Inc. and a director of Ryman Hospitality Properties.

Mr. Bonzani was hired as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary in April 2012. Prior to joining IPG, Mr. Bonzani worked at IBM for 18 years, holding a number of positions in the legal department, most recently as Vice President, Assistant General Counsel and Secretary from July 2008 to March 2012.

Mr. Carroll was named Senior Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer in April 2006. Mr. Carroll served as Senior Vice President and Controller of McCann Worldgroup from November 2005 to March 2006. Prior to joining us, Mr. Carroll served as Chief Accounting Officer and Controller at Eyetech Pharmaceuticals from June 2004 to October 2005. Prior to that time, Mr. Carroll served as Chief Accounting Officer and Controller at MIM Corporation from January 2003 to June 2004 and served as a Financial Vice President at Lucent Technologies, Inc. from July 2001 to January 2003.

Ms. Connors was hired in February 2010 as Senior Vice President, Audit and Chief Risk Officer. Prior to joining us, she served as a partner at Deloitte & Touche, LLP from September 2003 to January 2010.

Mr. Krakowsky was hired in January 2002 as Senior Vice President, Director of Corporate Communications. He was elected Executive Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Relations in December 2005 and in February 2011 was elected Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Talent Officer. Prior to joining us, he served as Senior Vice President, Communications Director for Young & Rubicam from August 1996 to December 2000. During 2001, Mr. Krakowsky was complying with the terms of a non-competition agreement entered into with Young & Rubicam.

Mr. Mergenthaler was hired in August 2005 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining us, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Columbia House Company from July 2002 to July 2005. Mr. Mergenthaler served as Senior Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer for Vivendi Universal from December 2001 to March 2002. Prior to that time Mr. Mergenthaler was an executive at Seagram Company Ltd. from November 1996 to December 2001. Mr. Mergenthaler is a director of Express Scripts, Inc.

PART II



Item 5.	Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Price Range of Common Stock

Our common stock is listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “IPG.” The following table provides the high and low closing sales prices per share for the periods shown below as reported on the NYSE. As of February 13, 2015, there were approximately 12,900 registered holders of our outstanding common stock.



	NYSE Sale Price
Period	High		Low
2014:
Fourth Quarter	$	20.83	$	16.51
Third Quarter	$	20.54	$	18.14
Second Quarter	$	19.69	$	16.28
First Quarter	$	17.75	$	16.05
2013:
Fourth Quarter	$	17.70	$	15.40
Third Quarter	$	17.51	$	14.69
Second Quarter	$	14.94	$	12.91
First Quarter	$	13.38	$	11.61

During 2014, the following dividends were declared and paid:



Declaration Date	Per Share Dividend		Aggregate Dividend ($ in millions)		Record Date	Payment Date
November 12, 2014	$	0.095	$	39.1	December 1, 2014	December 15, 2014
August 12, 2014	$	0.095	$	39.8	September 2, 2014	September 16, 2014
May 22, 2014	$	0.095	$	39.9	June 3, 2014	June 17, 2014
February 14, 2014	$	0.095	$	40.2	March 3, 2014	March 17, 2014

During 2013, the following dividends were declared and paid:



Declaration Date	Per Share Dividend		Aggregate Dividend ($ in millions)		Record Date	Payment Date
November 15, 2013	$	0.075	$	31.9	December 2, 2013	December 16, 2013
August 14, 2013	$	0.075	$	31.4	September 3, 2013	September 17, 2013
May 23, 2013	$	0.075	$	31.7	June 7, 2013	June 21, 2013
February 22, 2013	$	0.075	$	31.0	March 11, 2013	March 25, 2013

On February 13, 2015, we announced that our Board of Directors (the “Board”) had declared a common stock cash dividend of $0.12 per share, payable on March 16, 2015 to holders of record as of the close of business on March 2, 2015. Although it is the Board's current intention to declare and pay future dividends, there can be no assurance that such additional dividends will in fact be declared and paid. Any and the amount of any such declaration is at the discretion of the Board and will depend upon factors such as our earnings, financial position and cash requirements.

Equity Compensation Plans

See Item 12 for information about our equity compensation plans.

Transfer Agent and Registrar for Common Stock

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is:

Computershare Shareowner Services LLC

480 Washington Boulevard

29^th Floor

Jersey City, New Jersey 07310

Telephone: (877) 363-6398

Sales of Unregistered Securities

Not applicable.

Repurchase of Equity Securities

The following table provides information regarding our purchases of our equity securities during the period from October 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014.



	Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased ¹	Average Price Paid per Share (or Unit) ²		Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs ³	Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares (or Units) that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs ³
October 1 - 31	5,854,930	$	18.93	5,849,517	$	159,819,370
November 1 - 30	4,266	$	20.29	—	$	159,819,370
December 1 - 31	826,744	$	19.67	826,639	$	143,559,758
Total	6,685,940	$	19.02	6,676,156

Included shares of our common stock, par value $0.10 per share, withheld under the terms of grants under employee stock-based compensation plans to offset tax withholding obligations that occurred upon vesting and release of restricted shares (the "Withheld Shares"). We repurchased 5,413 Withheld Shares in October 2014, 4,266 Withheld Shares in November 2014 and 105 Withheld Shares in December 2014.

The average price per share for each of the months in the fiscal quarter and for the three-month period was calculated by dividing the sum of the applicable period of the aggregate value of the tax withholding obligations and the aggregate amount we paid for shares acquired under our stock repurchase program, described in Note 5 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, by the sum of the number of Withheld Shares and the number of shares acquired in our stock repurchase program.

In February 2014, the Board authorized a new share repurchase program to repurchase from time to time up to $300.0 million, excluding fees, of our common stock (the "2014 share repurchase program"). On February 13, 2015, we announced that our Board had approved a new share repurchase program to repurchase from time to time up to $300.0 million, excluding fees, of our common stock. The new authorization is in addition to any amounts remaining available for repurchase under the 2014 share repurchase program. There is no expiration date associated with the share repurchase programs.



Item 6.	Selected Financial Data

THE INTERPUBLIC GROUP OF COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Selected Financial Data

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts and Ratios)

(Unaudited)



Years ended December 31,	2014		2013		2012			2011		2010
Statement of Operations Data
Revenue	$	7,537.1	$	7,122.3	$	6,956.2		$	7,014.6	$	6,507.3
Salaries and related expenses	4,820.4		4,545.5		4,391.9			4,402.1		4,117.0
Office and general expenses	1,928.1		1,917.9		1,887.2			1,924.3		1,837.7
Restructuring and other reorganization-related charges (reversals), net	0.2		60.6		(1.2		)	1.0		3.9
Operating income	788.4		598.3		678.3			687.2		548.7
Provision for income taxes ¹	216.5		181.2		213.3			190.2		171.3
Net income ²	505.4		288.9		464.6			551.5		281.2
Net income available to IPG common stockholders ²	477.1		259.2		435.1			520.7		271.2

Earnings per share available to IPG common stockholders:
Basic ³	$	1.14	$	0.62	$	1.01		$	1.12	$	0.57
Diluted ³	$	1.12	$	0.61	$	0.94		$	0.99	$	0.47

Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic	419.2		421.1		432.5			465.5		473.6
Diluted	425.4		429.6		481.4			540.6		542.1

Dividends declared per common share	$	0.38	$	0.30	$	0.24		$	0.24	$	0.00

Other Financial Data
Net cash provided by operating activities	$	669.5	$	592.9	$	357.2		$	273.5	$	817.3
Ratios of earnings to fixed charges	3.8		2.6		3.2			3.4		2.4

As of December 31,	2014		2013		2012			2011		2010
Balance Sheet Data
Cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities	$	1,667.2	$	1,642.1	$	2,590.8		$	2,315.6	$	2,689.4
Total assets	12,747.2		12,905.0		13,493.9			12,908.7		13,070.8
Total debt	1,732.8		1,662.5		2,449.6			1,769.2		1,737.0
Total liabilities	10,338.6		10,405.1		10,810.1			10,168.0		10,212.7
Preferred stock – Series B	0.0		0.0		221.5			221.5		221.5
Total stockholders’ equity	2,151.2		2,250.8		2,456.6			2,497.3		2,566.9


1	The year ended December 31, 2014 included the net reversal of valuation allowances on deferred tax assets in Continental Europe of $67.6.

The years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 included losses of $6.6 and $28.3, net of tax, related to our early extinguishment of debt, respectively. The year ended December 31, 2013 included a loss of $50.9, net of tax, from the effects of restructuring and related costs. The years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 included a gain of $57.2 and $126.2, net of tax, respectively, related to the sales of our holdings in Facebook.

Both basic and diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2014 included a positive impact of $0.16 per share from the net reversal of valuation allowances on deferred tax assets in Continental Europe. Basic and diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2014 included a negative impact of $0.01 and $0.02 per share, respectively, from a loss on early extinguishment of debt, net of tax. Basic and diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2013 included a negative impact of $0.12 and $0.11 per share, respectively, from the effects of restructuring and related costs, net of tax. Basic and diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2013 included a negative impact of $0.06 per share from a loss on early extinguishment of debt, net of tax. Basic earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 included a positive impact of $0.14 and $0.27 per share, respectively, and diluted earnings per share included a positive impact of $0.12 and $0.23 per share, respectively, from the gains recorded for the sale of our holdings in Facebook, net of tax.

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)



Item 7.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is intended to help you understand The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. and its subsidiaries (“IPG,” “we,” “us” or “our”). MD&A should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying notes included in this report. Our MD&A includes the following sections:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY provides a discussion about our strategic outlook, factors influencing our business and an overview of our results of operations and liquidity.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS provides an analysis of the consolidated and segment results of operations for 2014 compared to 2013 and 2013 compared to 2012.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES provides an overview of our cash flows, funding requirements, contractual obligations, financing and sources of funds and debt credit ratings.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES provides a discussion of our accounting policies that require critical judgment, assumptions and estimates.

RECENT ACCOUNTING STANDARDS, by reference to Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, provides a discussion of certain accounting standards that have been adopted during 2014 or that have not yet been required to be implemented and may be applicable to our future operations.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

During 2014, our organic revenue increase was driven by growth throughout nearly all our regions, which was a result of net new business wins during the year and growth with existing clients. The growth in our domestic market was across all major disciplines and nearly all agencies. Our international organic increase was across all our marketing disciplines, with notable contributions from the Asia Pacific, United Kingdom and Latin America regions. The challenging economic climate in the Continental Europe region continued to impact our international growth. We continued to have strong growth in demand for our digital, media and marketing services across most of our regional markets. We carefully managed our increase in operating expenses, which reflected investments made in our agencies to support our new business portfolio and growing disciplines as well as to service our existing clients.

Overall demand for our services by clients remains solid, though with challenging economic conditions in some parts of the world, marketers continue to show a measure of caution. We continue to derive substantial benefit from our diversified client base, our global footprint and the broad range and strength of our professional offerings. We continued to enhance our businesses during 2014 by making investments in creative and strategic talent that emphasize our growth priorities: fast-growth digital marketing channels, high-growth geographic regions and strategic world markets. We believe our continued investment in tools, technology and process improvements will create efficiencies in the delivery of our services.

We continued to enhance value to our shareholders through common stock dividends, share repurchases and improvements in our balance sheet. Basic earnings per share available to IPG common stockholders for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 were $1.14, $0.62 and $1.01 per share, respectively. Diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 were $1.12, $0.61 and $0.94 per share, respectively. Both basic and diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2014 included a positive impact of $0.16 per share from the net reversal of valuation allowances on deferred tax assets in Continental Europe. Basic and diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 included a negative impact of $0.01 and $0.02 per share, respectively, from the loss on early extinguishment of debt, net of tax. Basic and diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2013 included a negative impact of $0.12 and $0.11 per share, respectively, from the effects of restructuring and related costs, net of tax. Basic and diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2012 included a positive impact of $0.14 and $0.12 per share, respectively, from the gain recorded on the sale of our remaining holdings in Facebook, net of tax.

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

The following tables present a summary of financial performance for the year ended December 31, 2014, as compared with the same periods in 2013 and 2012.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014					2013
% Increase	Total		Organic			Total			Organic
Revenue	5.8	%	5.5		%	2.4		%	2.8		%
Salaries and related expenses	6.0	%	5.6		%	3.5		%	3.8		%
Office and general expenses	0.5	%	0.5		%	1.6		%	2.5		%

			Years ended December 31,
			2014			2013			2012
Operating margin			10.5		%	8.4		%	9.8		%
Expenses as % of revenue:
Salaries and related expenses			64.0		%	63.8		%	63.1		%
Office and general expenses			25.6		%	26.9		%	27.1		%
Restructuring and other reorganization-related charges (reversals), net			0.0		%	0.9		%	0.0		%

Net income available to IPG common stockholders			$	477.1		$	259.2		$	435.1

Earnings per share available to IPG common stockholders:
Basic			$	1.14		$	0.62		$	1.01
Diluted			$	1.12		$	0.61		$	0.94

When we analyze period-to-period changes in our operating performance, we determine the portion of the change that is attributable to changes in foreign currency rates and the net effect of acquisitions and divestitures, and the remainder we call organic change, which indicates how our underlying business performed. The performance metrics that we use to evaluate our results include the organic change in revenue, salaries and related expenses and office and general expenses, and the components of operating expenses, expressed as a percentage of total consolidated revenue. Additionally, in certain of our discussions we analyze revenue by business sector, where we focus on our top 100 clients, which typically constitutes approximately 55% to 60% of our annual consolidated revenues. We also analyze revenue by geographic region.

The change in our operating performance attributable to changes in foreign currency rates is determined by converting the prior-period reported results using the current-period exchange rates and comparing these prior-period adjusted amounts to the prior-period reported results. Although the U.S. Dollar is our reporting currency, a substantial portion of our revenues and expenses are generated in foreign currencies. Therefore, our reported results are affected by fluctuations in the currencies in which we conduct our international businesses. We do not use derivative financial instruments to manage this translation risk. Our exposure is mitigated as the majority of our revenues and expenses in any given market are generally denominated in the same currency. Both positive and negative currency fluctuations against the U.S. Dollar affect our consolidated results of operations, and the magnitude of the foreign currency impact on us related to each geographic region depends on the significance and operating performance of the region. The primary foreign currencies that impacted our results during 2014 included the Argentine Peso, Australian Dollar, Brazilian Real and British Pound Sterling. During 2014, the U.S. Dollar was stronger relative to several foreign currencies in regions where we conduct our business as compared to the prior-year period, which had a negative impact on our 2014 consolidated results of operations. For 2014 and 2013, foreign currency fluctuations resulted in net decreases of approximately 1% in revenues and operating expenses, which had a negative impact on our operating margin percentage.

For purposes of analyzing changes in our operating performance attributable to the net effect of acquisitions and divestitures, transactions are treated as if they occurred on the first day of the quarter during which the transaction occurred. During the past few years we have acquired companies that we believe will enhance our offerings and disposed of businesses that are not consistent with our strategic plan. For 2014 and 2013, the net effect of acquisitions and divestitures increased revenue and operating expenses compared to the prior-year period. See Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on our acquisitions.

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Consolidated Results of Operations

REVENUE

Our revenue is directly impacted by our ability to win new clients and the retention and spending levels of existing clients. Most of our expenses are recognized ratably throughout the year and are therefore less seasonal than revenue. Our revenue is typically lowest in the first quarter and highest in the fourth quarter. This reflects the seasonal spending of our clients, incentives earned at year end on various contracts and project work completed that is typically recognized during the fourth quarter. In the events marketing business, revenues can fluctuate due to the timing of completed projects, as revenue is typically recognized when the project is complete. We generally act as principal for these projects and accordingly record the gross amount billed to the client as revenue and the related costs incurred as pass-through costs in office and general expenses.



	Year ended December 31, 2013		Components of Change								Year ended December 31, 2014		Change
	Year ended December 31, 2013		Foreign Currency			Net Acquisitions/ (Divestitures)		Organic			Year ended December 31, 2014		Organic		Total
Consolidated	$	7,122.3	$	(75.5	)	$	95.3	$	395.0		$	7,537.1	5.5	%	5.8	%
Domestic	3,972.6		0.0			24.8		186.6			4,184.0		4.7	%	5.3	%
International	3,149.7		(75.5		)	70.5		208.4			3,353.1		6.6	%	6.5	%
United Kingdom	568.3		30.9			29.0		60.1			688.3		10.6	%	21.1	%
Continental Europe	800.6		(5.2		)	19.7		(10.4		)	804.7		(1.3	)%	0.5	%
Asia Pacific	868.9		(35.6		)	20.1		69.1			922.5		8.0	%	6.2	%
Latin America	464.5		(46.0		)	1.7		50.2			470.4		10.8	%	1.3	%
Other	447.4		(19.6		)	0.0		39.4			467.2		8.8	%	4.4	%

During 2014, our revenue increased by $414.8, or 5.8%, compared to 2013, comprised of an organic revenue increase of $395.0, or 5.5%, and the effect of net acquisitions of $95.3, partially offset by an adverse foreign currency rate impact of $75.5. Our organic revenue increase was throughout nearly all geographic regions, attributable to net client wins and net higher spending from existing clients, most notably in the health care and auto and transportation sectors, partially offset by modest declines in the technology and telecom and consumer goods sectors. The organic increase in our domestic market was driven by growth across most disciplines, most notably at our advertising and media businesses and at our digital specialist agencies, partially offset by a decline at our events marketing business. In our international market, the organic revenue increase was primarily in the Asia Pacific region, led by Australia, China and Singapore, in the United Kingdom, in the Latin America region, led by Brazil and Argentina, and in the Other regions, primarily in the Middle East, partially offset by an organic decrease in the Continental Europe region due to a continued challenging economic climate. The international organic revenue increase was driven by growth across all disciplines.



	Year ended December 31, 2012		Components of Change									Year ended December 31, 2013		Change
	Year ended December 31, 2012		Foreign Currency			Net Acquisitions/ (Divestitures)			Organic			Year ended December 31, 2013		Organic		Total
Consolidated	$	6,956.2	$	(80.4	)	$	50.3		$	196.2		$	7,122.3	2.8	%	2.4	%
Domestic	3,803.6		0.0			26.4			142.6			3,972.6		3.7	%	4.4	%
International	3,152.6		(80.4		)	23.9			53.6			3,149.7		1.7	%	(0.1	)%
United Kingdom	572.0		(7.0		)	(1.2		)	4.5			568.3		0.8	%	(0.6	)%
Continental Europe	823.1		23.0			2.7			(48.2		)	800.6		(5.9	)%	(2.7	)%
Asia Pacific	838.1		(43.6		)	21.0			53.4			868.9		6.4	%	3.7	%
Latin America	450.1		(32.7		)	1.4			45.7			464.5		10.2	%	3.2	%
Other	469.3		(20.1		)	0.0			(1.8		)	447.4		(0.4	)%	(4.7	)%

During 2013, our revenue increased by $166.1, or 2.4%, compared to 2012, comprised of an organic revenue increase of $196.2, or 2.8%, and the effect of net acquisitions of $50.3, partially offset by an adverse foreign currency rate impact of $80.4. We had growth in the domestic market, with our organic revenue increase primarily attributable to net client wins, most notably in the auto and transportation sector, and net higher spending from existing clients, primarily in the healthcare sector, partially offset by decreases in the technology and telecom sector. In addition, our organic revenue increase in the domestic market was mainly driven by our events marketing and public relations businesses. In our international market, the organic revenue increase was primarily in the Asia Pacific region, led by Australia and China, and in the Latin America region, primarily in Brazil. Also

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

contributing to our international organic revenue increase was net higher spending from existing clients throughout nearly all client sectors, most notably in the technology and telecom and healthcare sectors. The international organic revenue increase was partially offset by a decline in the Continental Europe region, across most countries in the market, due to a continued challenging economic climate.

Refer to the segment discussion later in this MD&A for information on changes in revenue by segment.

OPERATING EXPENSES



	Years ended December 31,
	2014				2013				2012
	$		% of Revenue		$		% of Revenue		$			% of Revenue
Salaries and related expenses	$	4,820.4	64.0	%	$	4,545.5	63.8	%	$	4,391.9		63.1	%
Office and general expenses	1,928.1		25.6	%	1,917.9		26.9	%	1,887.2			27.1	%
Restructuring and other reorganization-related charges (reversals), net	0.2		0.0	%	60.6		0.9	%	(1.2		)	0.0	%
Total operating expenses	$	6,748.7			$	6,524.0			$	6,277.9
Operating income	$	788.4	10.5	%	$	598.3	8.4	%	$	678.3		9.8	%

Salaries and Related Expenses

Salaries and related expenses consist of payroll costs, employee performance incentives, including annual bonus and long-term incentive awards, costs for temporary workers, severance and other benefits associated with client service professional staff and administrative staff. Salaries and related expenses do not vary significantly with short-term changes in revenue levels, however, salaries may fluctuate due to the timing of the hiring of personnel to support revenue growth and changes in the performance levels and types of employee incentive awards. Additionally, we may take severance actions in areas where we have or anticipate decreases in operating performance or to enhance our teams or leadership. Changes in our incentive awards mix can impact future-period expense, as annual bonus awards are expensed during the year in which they are earned, and long-term incentive awards are expensed over the performance period, generally three years. Factors impacting long-term incentive awards are the actual number of awards vesting, the change in our stock price, actual results and changes to our projected results, which could impact the achievement of certain performance targets.



	Prior Year Amount		Components of Change							Total Amount		Change
	Prior Year Amount		Foreign Currency			Net Acquisitions/ (Divestitures)		Organic		Total Amount		Organic		Total
2013 - 2014	$	4,545.5	$	(38.3	)	$	59.3	$	253.9	$	4,820.4	5.6	%	6.0	%
2012 - 2013	4,391.9		(40.3		)	28.2		165.7		4,545.5		3.8	%	3.5	%

Our staff cost ratio, defined as salaries and related expenses as a percentage of total consolidated revenue, increased in 2014 to 64.0% from 63.8% in 2013. Salaries and related expenses in 2014 increased by $274.9 compared to 2013, comprised of an organic increase of $253.9 and the effect of net acquisitions of $59.3, partially offset by a favorable foreign currency rate impact of $38.3. The organic increase was primarily attributable to an increase in base salaries, benefits and temporary help of $202.1, primarily due to increases in our workforce at businesses where we had revenue growth or new business wins, primarily in the domestic market and in the United Kingdom and Asia Pacific region. Also contributing to the organic increase was higher incentive awards expense and certain agency-related bonus accruals resulting from improved financial performance, partially offset by lower severance expense.

Our staff cost ratio increased in 2013 to 63.8% from 63.1% in 2012. Salaries and related expenses in 2013 increased by $153.6 compared to 2012, comprised of an organic increase of $165.7 and the effect of net acquisitions of $28.2, partially offset by a favorable foreign currency rate impact of $40.3. The organic increase was primarily due to an increase in base salaries, benefits and temporary help of $150.1, primarily due to increases in our workforce in international markets, predominantly in the Asia Pacific and Latin America regions, as well as in our domestic market at businesses where we had revenue growth or new business wins, and to a lesser extent, modest wage increases.

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

The following table details our staff cost ratio.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Salaries and related expenses	64.0	%	63.8	%	63.1	%
Base salaries, benefits and tax	52.6	%	52.9	%	52.2	%
Incentive expense	3.5	%	3.0	%	3.0	%
Severance expense	0.9	%	1.1	%	1.3	%
Temporary help	3.8	%	3.6	%	3.6	%
All other salaries and related expenses	3.2	%	3.2	%	3.0	%

Office and General Expenses

Office and general expenses primarily include rent expense, professional fees, certain expenses incurred by our staff in servicing our clients and depreciation and amortization costs. Office and general expenses also include costs directly attributable to client engagements, including production costs, out-of-pocket costs such as travel for client service staff and other direct costs that are rebilled to our clients. Production expenses can vary significantly between periods depending upon the timing of completion of certain projects where we act as principal, which could impact trends between various periods in the future.



	Prior Year Amount		Components of Change							Total Amount		Change
	Prior Year Amount		Foreign Currency			Net Acquisitions/ (Divestitures)		Organic		Total Amount		Organic		Total
2013 - 2014	$	1,917.9	$	(19.7	)	$	20.1	$	9.8	$	1,928.1	0.5	%	0.5	%
2012 - 2013	1,887.2		(27.3		)	10.2		47.8		1,917.9		2.5	%	1.6	%

Our office and general expense ratio, defined as office and general expenses as a percentage of total consolidated revenue, decreased in 2014 to 25.6% from 26.9% in 2013. Office and general expenses in 2014 increased by $10.2 compared to 2013, due to the effect of net acquisitions of $20.1 and an organic increase of $9.8, partially offset by a favorable foreign currency rate impact of $19.7. The organic increase was primarily attributable to increases in adjustments to contingent acquisition obligations as compared to the prior year and increased spending to support new business activity, partially offset by lower production expenses related to pass-through costs, which are also reflected in revenue, primarily in the domestic market.

Our office and general expense ratio decreased in 2013 to 26.9% from 27.1% in 2012. Office and general expenses in 2013 increased by $30.7 compared to 2012, due to an organic increase of $47.8 and the effect of net acquisitions of $10.2, partially offset by a favorable foreign currency rate impact of $27.3. The organic increase was primarily attributable to an increase in occupancy costs and higher production expenses in our domestic market related to pass-through costs, which are also reflected in revenue, partially offset by certain adjustments to contingent acquisition obligations.

The following table details our office and general expense ratio. All other office and general expenses primarily include production expenses, and, to a lesser extent, depreciation and amortization, bad debt expense, adjustments for contingent acquisition obligations, foreign currency gains (losses), long-lived asset impairments and other expenses.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Office and general expenses	25.6	%	26.9	%	27.1	%
Professional fees	1.5	%	1.7	%	1.7	%
Occupancy expense (excluding depreciation and amortization)	6.7	%	7.1	%	7.0	%
Travel & entertainment, office supplies and telecommunications	3.4	%	3.6	%	3.6	%
All other office and general expenses	14.0	%	14.5	%	14.8	%

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Restructuring and Other Reorganization-Related Charges (Reversals), net

The components of restructuring and other reorganization-related charges (reversals), net are listed below.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Severance and termination costs	$	0.1	$	55.9	$	0.0
Lease termination costs	0.1		4.2		(1.1		)
Other exit costs	0.0		0.5		(0.1		)
Total restructuring and other reorganization-related charges (reversals), net	$	0.2	$	60.6	$	(1.2	)

2013 Restructuring Plan

In the fourth quarter of 2013, we implemented a cost savings initiative (the "2013 Plan") to better align our cost structure with our revenue, primarily in Continental Europe. In connection with this initiative, we identified and initiated restructuring actions resulting in pre-tax charges in 2013 of $61.2 related to the 2013 Plan, comprised of severance and termination costs of $55.9, lease termination costs of $4.8 and other exit costs of $0.5. In 2014, we recorded an additional $0.1 of net restructuring charges related to the 2013 Plan. All restructuring actions were substantially completed by the end of the first quarter of 2014, with remaining payments expected to be made through 2021.

A summary of the 2013 Plan restructuring liability activity is listed below.



	December 31, 2013		Net Restructuring Charges		Cash Payments			Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment			December 31, 2014
Severance and termination costs	$	46.5	$	0.1	$	(41.8	)	$	(0.4	)	$	4.4
Lease termination costs	3.9		0.0		(1.2		)	(0.1		)	2.6
Other exit costs	0.5		0.0		(0.5		)	0.0			0.0
Total	$	50.9	$	0.1	$	(43.5	)	$	(0.5	)	$	7.0

Net restructuring charges related to the 2013 Plan for the year ended December 31, 2014, were comprised of net charges of approximately $0.3 at IAN ("Integrated Agency Network") and net reversals of approximately $0.2 at CMG ("Constituency Management Group").

Prior Restructuring Plans

The 2007, 2003 and 2001 restructuring plans (the "Prior Restructuring Plans") with current year activity included net charges (reversals) that are adjustments primarily resulting from changes in management’s estimates relating to sublease rental income assumptions. For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Prior Restructuring Plans incurred net restructuring and other reorganization-related charges of $0.1 and net reversals of $0.6 and $1.2, respectively. As of December 31, 2014, the remaining liability for the Prior Restructuring Plans was $1.1.

EXPENSES AND OTHER INCOME



	Years ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Cash interest on debt obligations	$	(78.9	)	$	(110.7	)	$	(130.6	)
Non-cash interest	(6.0		)	(12.0		)	(2.9		)
Interest expense	(84.9		)	(122.7		)	(133.5		)
Interest income	27.4			24.7			29.5
Net interest expense	(57.5		)	(98.0		)	(104.0		)
Other (expense) income, net	(10.2		)	(32.3		)	100.5
Total (expenses) and other income	$	(67.7	)	$	(130.3	)	$	(3.5	)

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Net Interest Expense

For 2014, net interest expense decreased by $40.5 as compared to 2013, primarily due to lower borrowing costs in the current year. Cash interest expense decreased primarily due to the redemption of our 6.25% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2014 (the "6.25% Notes") in the second quarter of 2014 and redemption of our 10.00% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2017 (the "10.00% Notes") in the third quarter of 2013, partially offset by the issuance of our 4.20% Senior Notes due 2024 (the "4.20% Notes") in the second quarter of 2014. Non-cash interest expense decreased as compared to 2013 primarily due to the write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs during 2013 as part of the amendment of our credit agreement as well as the redemption of the 6.25% Notes and 10.00% Notes.

For 2013, net interest expense decreased by $6.0 as compared to 2012, primarily due to a decrease in debt obligations in 2013. Cash interest expense decreased primarily due to the retirement of our 4.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2023 (the "4.75% Notes") in the first quarter of 2013 and redemption of our 10.00% Notes in the third quarter of 2013, which were refinanced with debt issued at lower rates in 2012. Non-cash interest expense increased primarily as a result of the retirement of our 4.75% Notes and our 4.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2023 (the "4.25% Notes") in the first quarter of 2013 and first quarter of 2012, respectively. At retirement, the premiums associated with these Notes, which had reduced interest expense in prior periods, were fully amortized.

Other (Expense) Income, net

Results of operations include certain items that are not directly associated with our revenue-producing operations.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	$	(10.4	)	$	(45.2	)	$	0.0
Gains on sales of businesses and investments, net	0.8			1.5			88.2
Vendor discounts and credit adjustments	3.3			8.6			15.3
Other (expense) income, net	(3.9		)	2.8			(3.0		)
Total other (expense) income, net	$	(10.2	)	$	(32.3	)	$	100.5

Loss on Early Extinguishment of Debt – During 2014, we recorded a charge of $10.4 related to the redemption of our 6.25% Notes. During 2013, we recorded a charge of $45.2 related to the redemption of our 10.00% Notes. See Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

Gains on Sales of Businesses and Investments, net – During 2014, we recognized gains from the sale of a business located in the Continental Europe region within our IAN segment and the sale of investments in our Rabbi Trusts, which were partially offset by a loss from the sale of a business in the domestic market within our IAN segment. During 2013, we recognized gains from the sale of marketable securities in the Asia Pacific region within our IAN segment and the sale of investments in our Rabbi Trusts, which were partially offset by a loss from the sale of a business in the United Kingdom within our IAN segment. During 2012, we recognized gains from the sale of remaining holdings in Facebook and a business in an international market within our CMG segment, which were partially offset by losses from the sale of businesses within our IAN segment, as well as an adjustment relating to a reserve for a change in estimate in connection with a business disposed of in a prior year.

Vendor Discounts and Credit Adjustments – In connection with the liabilities related to vendor discounts and credits established as part of the restatement we presented in our 2004 Annual Report on Form 10-K, these adjustments reflect the reversal of certain of these liabilities primarily where the statute of limitations has lapsed, or as a result of differences resulting from settlements with clients or vendors.

Other (Expense) Income, net – During 2014, we recorded an other-than-temporary impairment on an investment in an unconsolidated affiliate in the Asia Pacific region within our IAN segment. During 2013, other income (expense), net primarily included a non-cash gain on re-measurement to fair value of an equity interest in an affiliate, located in the Asia Pacific region within our CMG segment, upon acquiring a controlling interest.

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

INCOME TAXES



	Years ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Income before income taxes	$	720.7		$	468.0		$	674.8
Provision for income taxes	$	216.5		$	181.2		$	213.3
Effective income tax rate	30.0		%	38.7		%	31.6		%

Our tax rates are affected by many factors, including our worldwide earnings from various countries, changes in legislation and tax characteristics of our income. In 2014, our effective income tax rate of 30.0% was positively impacted from changes to our valuations allowances of $66.0. The primary drivers of the net change were associated with a valuation allowance reversal of $124.8 in one jurisdiction partially offset by the establishment of a valuation allowance of $57.2 in another jurisdiction, both in Continental Europe. In addition, our effective income tax rate was negatively impacted by losses in certain foreign jurisdictions where we receive no tax benefit due to 100% valuation allowances.

In 2013, our effective income tax rate of 38.7% was positively impacted by the recognition of losses attributable to worthless securities in a consolidated subsidiary and the recognition of previously unrecognized tax benefits as a result of the settlement of the 2002-2006 New York State audit cycle. Our effective income tax rate was negatively impacted primarily by losses in certain foreign jurisdictions where we receive no tax benefit due to 100% valuation allowances.

In 2012, our effective income tax rate of 31.6% was positively impacted by the reversals of valuation allowances associated with the Asia Pacific and Continental Europe regions of $26.2 and $21.8, respectively, as well as by a benefit derived from the deduction of foreign tax credits that previously had a full valuation allowance. Our effective income tax rate was negatively impacted by an adjustment of $19.5 associated with the establishment of a previously unrecorded reserve for a tax contingency for the years 2007 through 2010, losses in certain foreign locations where we receive no tax benefit due to 100% valuation allowances and state and local income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit.

See Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

EARNINGS PER SHARE

Basic earnings per share available to IPG common stockholders for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 were $1.14, $0.62 and $1.01 per share, respectively. Diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 were $1.12, $0.61 and $0.94 per share, respectively.

Both basic and diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2014 included a positive impact of $0.16 per share from the net reversal on valuation allowances on deferred tax assets in Continental Europe. Basic and diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2014 included a negative impact of $0.01 and $0.02 per share, respectively, from a loss on early extinguishment of debt, net of tax. Basic and diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2013 included a negative impact of $0.12 and $0.11 per share, respectively, from the effects of restructuring and related costs, net of tax. Basic and diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2013 included a negative impact of $0.06 per share from a loss on early extinguishment of debt, net of tax. Basic and diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2012 included a positive impact of $0.14 and $0.12 per share, respectively, from the gain recorded for the sale of our remaining holdings in Facebook, net of tax.

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Segment Results of Operations

As discussed in Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, we have two reportable segments as of December 31, 2014: IAN and CMG. We also report results for the "Corporate and other" group.

IAN

REVENUE



	Year ended December 31, 2013		Components of Change							Year ended December 31, 2014		Change
	Year ended December 31, 2013		Foreign Currency			Net Acquisitions/ (Divestitures)		Organic		Year ended December 31, 2014		Organic		Total
Consolidated	$	5,795.6	$	(76.7	)	$	61.0	$	317.4	$	6,097.3	5.5	%	5.2	%
Domestic	3,094.0		0.0			10.2		171.6		3,275.8		5.5	%	5.9	%
International	2,701.6		(76.7		)	50.8		145.8		2,821.5		5.4	%	4.4	%

During 2014, IAN revenue increased by $301.7 compared to 2013, comprised of an organic revenue increase of $317.4 and the effect of net acquisitions of $61.0, partially offset by an adverse foreign currency rate impact of $76.7. The organic revenue increase was primarily attributable to net client wins and net higher spending from existing clients, most notably in the health care and auto and transportation sectors, partially offset by a modest decline in the technology and telecom and consumer goods sectors. The organic revenue increase in our domestic market was driven by growth across all our disciplines. The international organic revenue increase was driven by our advertising and media businesses, primarily in the Asia Pacific region, led by Australia and China, in the Latin America region, primarily in Brazil, and in Other regions, primarily in the Middle East.



	Year ended December 31, 2012		Components of Change							Year ended December 31, 2013		Change
	Year ended December 31, 2012		Foreign Currency			Net Acquisitions/ (Divestitures)		Organic		Year ended December 31, 2013		Organic		Total
Consolidated	$	5,728.5	$	(73.2	)	$	40.4	$	99.9	$	5,795.6	1.7	%	1.2	%
Domestic	3,020.8		0.0			26.4		46.8		3,094.0		1.5	%	2.4	%
International	2,707.7		(73.2		)	14.0		53.1		2,701.6		2.0	%	(0.2	)%

During 2013, IAN revenue increased by $67.1 compared to 2012, comprised of an organic revenue increase of $99.9 and the effect of net acquisitions of $40.4, partially offset by an adverse foreign currency rate impact of $73.2. The organic revenue increase in our domestic market was primarily attributable to net client wins, most notably in the auto and transportation sector, and net higher spending from existing clients, primarily in the healthcare sector, partially offset by decreases in the technology and telecom and retail sectors. In our international markets, the organic revenue increase was primarily due to net higher spending from existing clients across most client sectors, primarily in the Asia Pacific region, led by Australia, and in the Latin America region, primarily in Brazil. The international organic revenue increase was partially offset by a decline in the Continental Europe region across most countries in the market.

SEGMENT OPERATING INCOME



	Years ended December 31,									Change
	2014			2013			2012			2014 vs 2013		2013 vs 2012
Segment operating income¹	$	777.1		$	662.1		$	700.2		17.4	%	(5.4	)%
Operating margin¹	12.7		%	11.4		%	12.2		%

Segment operating income and operating margin exclude restructuring and other reorganization-related charges of approximately $0.7 and $55.4 for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and reversals of approximately $0.9 for the year ended December 31, 2012. See "Restructuring and Other Reorganization-Related Charges (Reversals), net" in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Operating income increased during 2014 when compared to 2013 due to an increase in revenue of $301.7, partially offset by increases in salaries and related expenses of $185.2 and office and general expenses of $1.5. The increase in salaries and related expenses was primarily due to an increase in base salaries, benefits and temporary help, primarily attributable to an increase in our workforce in certain businesses where we had revenue growth or new business wins. Also contributing to the increase were higher incentive awards expense and certain agency-related bonus accruals resulting from improved financial performance, offset by lower severance expense. The increase in office and general expenses was primarily attributable to increases in adjustments to contingent acquisition obligations as compared to the prior year and increased spending to support new business activity, partially offset by lower production expenses related to pass-through costs, which are also reflected in revenue, primarily in the domestic market.

Operating income decreased during 2013 when compared to 2012 due to an increase in salaries and related expenses of $109.5, partially offset by an increase in revenue of $67.1 and a decrease in office and general expenses of $4.3. The increase in salaries and related expenses was primarily due to an increase in base salaries, benefits and temporary help, primarily attributable to an increase in our workforce in certain businesses where we had new business wins, as well as increases due to acquisitions during 2013. The decrease in office and general expenses was primarily attributable to lower production expenses related to pass-through costs for certain projects where we acted as principal that decreased in size or did not occur during 2013, certain adjustments to contingent acquisition obligations and lower discretionary spending, partially offset by an increase in occupancy costs.

CMG

REVENUE



	Year ended December 31, 2013		Components of Change						Year ended December 31, 2014		Change
	Year ended December 31, 2013		Foreign Currency		Net Acquisitions/ (Divestitures)		Organic		Year ended December 31, 2014		Organic		Total
Consolidated	$	1,326.7	$	1.2	$	34.3	$	77.6	$	1,439.8	5.8	%	8.5	%
Domestic	878.6		0.0		14.6		15.0		908.2		1.7	%	3.4	%
International	448.1		1.2		19.7		62.6		531.6		14.0	%	18.6	%

During 2014, CMG revenue increased by $113.1 compared to 2013, primarily comprised of an organic revenue increase of $77.6 and the effect of net acquisitions of $34.3. The organic revenue increase in our international markets was driven by growth across all disciplines, most notably at our public relations businesses, primarily in the Asia Pacific region and in the United Kingdom. Also contributing to the international organic revenue increase was our events marketing business in the United Kingdom and our sports marketing business in the Latin America region. The domestic organic revenue increase was primarily attributable to growth at our public relations and sports marketing businesses, partially offset by a decline at our events marketing business.



	Year ended December 31, 2012		Components of Change							Year ended December 31, 2013		Change
	Year ended December 31, 2012		Foreign Currency			Net Acquisitions/ (Divestitures)		Organic		Year ended December 31, 2013		Organic		Total
Consolidated	$	1,227.7	$	(7.2	)	$	9.9	$	96.3	$	1,326.7	7.8	%	8.1	%
Domestic	782.8		0.0			0.0		95.8		878.6		12.2	%	12.2	%
International	444.9		(7.2		)	9.9		0.5		448.1		0.1	%	0.7	%

During 2013, CMG revenue increased by $99.0 compared to 2012, comprised of an organic revenue increase of $96.3. We had growth in the domestic market, with our organic revenue increase primarily due to net client wins and net higher spending from existing clients across all disciplines, most notably in our events marketing and public relations businesses. The international organic revenue increase occurred primarily in our public relations business and was predominantly in the Latin America region, most notably in Brazil, and in the Asia Pacific region, primarily in China. Mostly offsetting the international organic revenue increase was an organic revenue decrease in the United Kingdom, due to a decrease in our events marketing business which in the prior-year included work performed for the London Olympics, and in the Continental Europe region due to a continued challenging economic climate.

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

SEGMENT OPERATING INCOME



	Years ended December 31,									Change
	2014			2013			2012			2014 vs 2013		2013 vs 2012
Segment operating income¹	$	161.0		$	137.6		$	114.2		17.0	%	20.5	%
Operating margin¹	11.2		%	10.4		%	9.3		%

Segment operating income and operating margin exclude restructuring and other reorganization-related reversals of approximately $0.5 and $0.3 for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2012, respectively, and charges of approximately $4.5, for the year ended December 31, 2013. See "Restructuring and Other Reorganization-Related Charges (Reversals), net" in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

Operating income increased during 2014 when compared to 2013 due to an increase in revenue of $113.1, partially offset by increases in salaries and related expenses of $70.8 and office and general expenses of $18.9. The increase in salaries and related expenses was due to an increase in base salaries, benefits and temporary help, primarily attributable to increases in our workforce, most notably at our public relations business, to support business growth, as well as increases due to acquisitions in 2014. Office and general expenses increased primarily due to higher occupancy costs and increased spending to support new business activity and increases due to acquisitions during 2014.

Operating income increased during 2013 when compared to 2012 due to an increase in revenue of $99.0, partially offset by increases in salaries and related expenses of $38.8 and office and general expenses of $36.8. The increase in salaries and related expenses was primarily attributable to increases in our workforce across most disciplines, primarily at our public relations business to support business growth. Office and general expenses increased primarily due to higher production expenses related to pass-through costs for certain projects where we acted as principal that increased in size or were new during 2013.

CORPORATE AND OTHER

Certain corporate and other charges are reported as a separate line item within total segment operating income and include corporate office expenses, as well as shared service center and certain other centrally managed expenses that are not fully allocated to operating divisions. Salaries and related expenses include salaries, long-term incentives, annual bonuses and other miscellaneous benefits for corporate office employees. Office and general expenses primarily include professional fees related to internal control compliance, financial statement audits and legal, information technology and other consulting services that are engaged and managed through the corporate office. In addition, office and general expenses also include rental expense and depreciation of leasehold improvements for properties occupied by corporate office employees. A portion of centrally managed expenses are allocated to operating divisions based on a formula that uses the planned revenues of each of the operating units. Amounts allocated also include specific charges for information technology-related projects, which are allocated based on utilization.

Corporate and other expenses increased during 2014 by $8.7 to $149.5 compared to 2013, primarily due to higher incentive awards expense resulting from improved financial performance and higher employee insurance costs due to increased claims and regulatory changes, partially offset by lower occupancy costs.

Corporate and other expenses increased slightly during 2013 by $3.5 to $140.8 compared to 2012, primarily due to an increase in salaries and related expenses, mainly attributable to higher base salaries, benefits and temporary help, partially offset by lower severance expenses and a decrease in office and general expenses.

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

CASH FLOW OVERVIEW

The following tables summarize key financial data relating to our liquidity, capital resources and uses of capital.



	Years ended December 31,
Cash Flow Data	2014			2013			2012
Net income, adjusted to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities ¹	$	831.2		$	598.4		$	697.2
Net cash used in working capital ²	(131.1		)	(9.6		)	(293.2		)
Changes in other non-current assets and liabilities using cash	(30.6		)	4.1			(46.8		)
Net cash provided by operating activities	$	669.5		$	592.9		$	357.2
Net cash used in investing activities	(200.8		)	(224.5		)	(210.2		)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(343.9		)	(1,212.3		)	131.3


1	Reflects net income adjusted primarily for depreciation and amortization of fixed assets and intangible assets, amortization of restricted stock and other non-cash compensation, non-cash (gain) loss related to early extinguishment of debt, and deferred income taxes.


2	Reflects changes in accounts receivable, expenditures billable to clients, other current assets, accounts payable and accrued liabilities.

Operating Activities

Net cash provided by operating activities during 2014 was $669.5, which was an improvement of $76.6 as compared to 2013, primarily as a result of an increase in net income, offset by an increase in working capital usage of $121.5. Due to the seasonality of our business, we typically generate cash from working capital in the second half of a year and use cash from working capital in the first half of a year, with the largest impacts in the first and fourth quarters. Our net working capital usage in 2014 was impacted by our media businesses.

Net cash provided by operating activities during 2013 was $592.9, which was an increase of $235.7 as compared to 2012, primarily as a result of an improvement in working capital usage of $283.6, offset by a decrease in net income. The improvement in working capital in 2013 was impacted by our media businesses and an ongoing focus on working capital management at our agencies.

The timing of media buying on behalf of our clients affects our working capital and operating cash flow. In most of our businesses, our agencies enter into commitments to pay production and media costs on behalf of clients. To the extent possible we pay production and media charges after we have received funds from our clients. The amounts involved substantially exceed our revenues and primarily affect the level of accounts receivable, expenditures billable to clients, accounts payable and accrued liabilities. Our assets include both cash received and accounts receivable from clients for these pass-through arrangements, while our liabilities include amounts owed on behalf of clients to media and production suppliers.

Our accrued liabilities are also affected by the timing of certain other payments. For example, while annual cash incentive awards are accrued throughout the year, they are generally paid during the first quarter of the subsequent year.

Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities during 2014 primarily related to payments for capital expenditures and acquisitions. Capital expenditures of $148.7 related primarily to computer hardware and software and leasehold improvements. We made payments of $67.8 related to acquisitions completed during 2014, net of cash acquired.

Net cash used in investing activities during 2013 primarily related to payments for capital expenditures and acquisitions. Capital expenditures of $173.0 related primarily to computer hardware and software and leasehold improvements. We made payments of $61.5 related to acquisitions completed during 2013, net of cash acquired.

Financing Activities

Net cash used in financing activities during 2014 primarily related to the purchase of long-term debt, the repurchase of our common stock and payment of dividends. During 2014, we redeemed all $350.0 in aggregate principal amount of the 6.25% Notes, repurchased 14.9 shares of our common stock for an aggregate cost of $275.1, including fees, and made dividend payments of $159.0 on our common stock. This was offset by the issuance of $500.0 in aggregate principal amount of our 4.20% Notes.

Net cash used in financing activities during 2013 primarily related to the purchase of long-term debt, the repurchase of our common stock and payment of dividends. We redeemed all $600.0 in aggregate principal amount of our 10.00% Notes. In addition,

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

we repurchased 31.8 shares of our common stock for an aggregate cost of $481.8, including fees, and made dividend payments of $126.0 on our common stock.

Foreign Exchange Rate Changes

The effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents included in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows resulted in a decrease of $101.0 in 2014. The decrease was primarily a result of the U.S. Dollar being stronger than several foreign currencies, including the Canadian Dollar, Brazilian Real, Australian Dollar and the Euro as of December 31, 2014 compared to December 31, 2013.

The effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents included in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows resulted in a decrease of $94.1 in 2013. The decrease was primarily a result of the U.S. Dollar being stronger than several foreign currencies, including the Australian Dollar, Brazilian Real, Canadian Dollar, Japanese Yen, and South African Rand as of December 31, 2013 compared to December 31, 2012.



	December 31,
Balance Sheet Data	2014		2013
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities	$1,667.2		$1,642.1

Short-term borrowings	$107.2		$179.1
Current portion of long-term debt	2.1		353.6
Long-term debt	1,623.5		1,129.8
Total debt	$	1,732.8	$	1,662.5

LIQUIDITY OUTLOOK

We expect our cash flow from operations, cash and cash equivalents to be sufficient to meet our anticipated operating requirements at a minimum for the next twelve months. We also have a committed corporate credit facility as well as uncommitted facilities available to support our operating needs. We continue to maintain a disciplined approach to managing liquidity, with flexibility over significant uses of cash, including our capital expenditures, cash used for new acquisitions, our common stock repurchase program and our common stock dividends.

From time to time, we evaluate market conditions and financing alternatives for opportunities to raise additional funds or otherwise improve our liquidity profile, enhance our financial flexibility and manage market risk. Our ability to access the capital markets depends on a number of factors, which include those specific to us, such as our credit rating, and those related to the financial markets, such as the amount or terms of available credit. There can be no guarantee that we would be able to access new sources of liquidity on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.

Funding Requirements

Our most significant funding requirements include our operations, non-cancelable operating lease obligations, capital expenditures, acquisitions, common stock dividends, taxes, debt service, restructuring and contributions to pension and postretirement plans. Additionally, we may be required to make payments to minority shareholders in certain subsidiaries if they exercise their options to sell us their equity interests.

Notable funding requirements include:


•	Debt service – The majority of our debt is classified as long-term, with maturities scheduled through 2031. During 2014, we issued $500.0 in aggregate principal amount of the 4.20% Notes at a discount and redeemed all $350.0 in aggregate principal amount of the 6.25% Notes. The majority of the net proceeds of the 4.20% Notes were used toward the redemption of the 6.25% Notes.

•

Acquisitions – We paid cash of $67.8, which was net of cash acquired of $29.9, for acquisitions completed in 2014. We also paid cash of $16.1 in deferred payments for prior-year acquisitions as well as ownership increases in our consolidated subsidiaries. In addition to potential cash expenditures for new acquisitions, we expect to pay approximately $60.0 in 2015 related to prior-year acquisitions. We may also be required to pay approximately $30.0 in 2015 related to put options held by minority shareholders if exercised. We will continue to evaluate strategic opportunities to grow and continue to strengthen our market position, particularly in our digital and marketing services offerings, and to expand our presence in high-growth and key strategic world markets.

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

•

Dividends – During 2014, we paid four quarterly cash dividends of $0.095 per share on our common stock, which corresponded to an aggregate dividend payment of $159.0. On February 13, 2015, we announced that our Board had declared a common stock cash dividend of $0.12 per share, payable on March 16, 2015 to holders of record as of the close of business on March 2, 2015. Assuming we pay a quarterly dividend of $0.12 per share and there is no significant change in the number of outstanding shares as of December 31, 2014, we would expect to pay approximately $200.0 over the next twelve months.


•	Restructuring – In 2014, we paid cash of $43.5 in connection with restructuring actions. We expect to pay approximately $5.0 in 2015, with remaining cash payments in relation to such restructuring actions expected to be made through 2021.

•

Contributions to pension plans – Our funding policy regarding our pension plans is to make contributions necessary to satisfy minimum pension funding requirements, plus such additional contributions as we consider appropriate to improve the plans’ funded status. During 2014, we contributed $2.7 and $25.7 of cash to our domestic and foreign pension plans, respectively. For 2015, we expect to contribute approximately $3.0 and $24.0 of cash to our domestic and foreign pension plans, respectively.


•	Other payments and obligations – In 2014, we paid cash of approximately $1.2 pursuant to a licensing agreement and acquisition of the rights to use a trademark. We expect to make a final cash payment of approximately $30.0 in 2015.

The following summarizes our estimated contractual cash obligations and commitments as of December 31, 2014 and their effect on our liquidity and cash flow in future periods.



	Years ended December 31,										Thereafter		Total
	2015		2016		2017		2018		2019		Thereafter		Total
Long-term debt ¹	$	2.1	$	2.2	$	324.2	$	2.0	$	2.0	$	1,293.1	$	1,625.6
Interest payments on long-term debt ¹	58.8		58.8		58.6		51.9		49.8		179.0		456.9
Non-cancelable operating lease obligations ²	320.0		286.1		247.2		222.2		198.9		845.1		2,119.5
Contingent acquisition payments ³	95.7		86.3		86.1		15.7		21.3		7.9		313.0
Uncertain tax positions ⁴	30.7		104.5		61.6		20.4		3.8		17.0		238.0
Total	$	507.3	$	537.9	$	777.7	$	312.2	$	275.8	$	2,342.1	$	4,753.0

Amounts represent maturity at book value and interest payments based on contractual obligations. We may redeem all or some of the 2.25% Senior Notes due 2017, the 4.00% Senior Notes due 2022 , the 3.75% Senior Notes due 2023 and the 4.20% Senior Notes due 2024 at the greater of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed and a "make-whole" amount, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest to the date of redemption.


2	Non-cancelable operating lease obligations are presented net of future receipts on contractual sublease arrangements.


3	We have structured certain acquisitions with additional contingent purchase price obligations based on factors including future performance of the acquired entity. See Note 4 and Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.


4	The amounts presented are estimates due to inherent uncertainty of tax settlements, including the ability to offset liabilities with tax loss carryforwards.

Share Repurchase Program

In February 2013, our Board authorized a new share repurchase program to repurchase from time to time up to $300.0, excluding fees, of our common stock (the "2013 Share Repurchase Program"). In March 2013, the Board authorized an increase in the amount available under our 2013 Share Repurchase Program up to $500.0, excluding fees, of our common stock to be used towards the repurchase of shares resulting from the conversion to common stock of the 4.75% Notes. We fully utilized the 2013 Share Repurchase Program as of the third quarter of 2014. In February 2014, the Board authorized a new share repurchase program to repurchase from time to time up to $300.0, excluding fees, of our common stock (the "2014 Share Repurchase Program"). As of December 31, 2014, $143.6 remained available for repurchase under the 2014 Share Repurchase Program.

On February 13, 2015, we announced that our Board had approved a new share repurchase program to repurchase from time to time up to $300.0, excluding fees, of our common stock. The new authorization is in addition to any amounts remaining available for repurchase under the 2014 Share Repurchase Program.

We may effect such repurchases through open market purchases, trading plans established in accordance with SEC rules, derivative transactions or other means. We expect to continue to repurchase our common stock in future periods, although the

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

timing and amount of the repurchases will depend on market conditions and other funding requirements. There is no expiration date associated with the share repurchase programs.

FINANCING AND SOURCES OF FUNDS

Substantially all of our operating cash flow is generated by our agencies. Our cash balances are held in numerous jurisdictions throughout the world, primarily at the holding company level and at our largest subsidiaries. Below is a summary of our sources of liquidity.



	December 31, 2014
	Total Facility		Amount Outstanding		Letters of Credit¹		Total Available
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities							$	1,667.2
Committed credit agreement	$	1,000.0	$	0.0	$	16.0	$	984.0
Uncommitted credit arrangements	$	740.3	107.2		$	3.9	$	629.2


1	We are required from time to time to post letters of credit, primarily to support obligations of our subsidiaries. These letters of credit historically have not been drawn upon.

At December 31, 2014, we held $896.5 of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities in foreign subsidiaries. We have not provided U.S. federal income taxes on undistributed foreign earnings of our foreign subsidiaries because we consider such earnings to be permanently reinvested outside the United States. If in the future we distribute these amounts to the United States, an additional provision for the U.S. income and foreign withholding taxes, net of foreign tax credits, could be necessary.

Credit Agreements

We maintain a committed corporate credit facility to increase our financial flexibility (the "Credit Agreement"). The Credit Agreement is a revolving facility, expiring in December 2018, under which amounts borrowed by us or any of our subsidiaries designated under the Credit Agreement may be repaid and reborrowed, subject to an aggregate lending limit of $1,000.0 or the equivalent in other currencies. The Company continues to have the ability to increase the commitments under the Credit Agreement from time to time by an additional amount of up to $250.0, provided the Company receives commitments for such increases and satisfies certain other conditions. The aggregate available amount of letters of credit outstanding may decrease or increase, subject to a sublimit on letters of credit of $200.0 or the equivalent in other currencies. We use our Credit Agreement to provide letters of credit primarily to support obligations of our subsidiaries. Our obligations under the Credit Agreement are unsecured.

Under the Credit Agreement, we can elect to receive advances bearing interest based on either the base rate or the Eurocurrency rate (each as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus an applicable margin that is determined based on our credit ratings. As of December 31, 2014, the applicable margin is 0.275% for base rate advances and 1.275% for Eurocurrency rate advances. Letter of credit fees accrue on the average daily aggregate amount of letters of credit outstanding, at a rate equal to the applicable margin for Eurocurrency rate advances, and fronting fees accrue on the aggregate amount of letters of credit outstanding at an annual rate of 0.250%. We also pay a facility fee at an annual rate of 0.225% on the aggregate lending commitment under the Credit Agreement.

The table below sets forth the financial covenants in effect as of December 31, 2014.



	Four Quarters Ended		Four Quarters Ended
Financial Covenants	December 31, 2014	EBITDA Reconciliation	December 31, 2014
Interest coverage ratio (not less than)	5.00x	Operating income	$	788.4
Actual interest coverage ratio	17.80x	Add:
Leverage ratio (not greater than)	3.25x	Depreciation and amortization	217.3
Actual leverage ratio	1.72x	EBITDA ¹	$	1,005.7


1	EBITDA is calculated as defined in the Credit Agreement.

As of December 31, 2014, we were in compliance with all of our covenants in the Credit Agreement. If we were unable to comply with our covenants in the future, we would seek an amendment or waiver from our lenders, but there is no assurance that our lenders would grant an amendment or waiver. If we were unable to obtain the necessary amendment or waiver, the credit facility could be terminated and our lenders could accelerate payments of any outstanding principal. In addition, under those circumstances we could be required to deposit funds with one of our lenders in an amount equal to any outstanding letters of credit under the credit facility.

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

We also have uncommitted credit facilities with various banks that permit borrowings at variable interest rates. As of December 31, 2014, there were borrowings under some of the uncommitted facilities to manage working capital needs. We have guaranteed the repayment of some of these borrowings made by certain subsidiaries. If we lose access to these credit lines, we would have to provide funding directly to some of our international operations. The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding balances under the uncommitted credit facilities as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 was approximately 4.5%.

Cash Pooling

We aggregate our domestic cash position on a daily basis. Outside the United States we use cash pooling arrangements with banks to help manage our liquidity requirements. In these pooling arrangements, several IPG agencies agree with a single bank that the cash balances of any of the agencies with the bank will be subject to a full right of set-off against amounts the other agencies owe the bank, and the bank provides for overdrafts as long as the net balance for all the agencies does not exceed an agreed-upon level. Typically, each agency pays interest on outstanding overdrafts and receives interest on cash balances. Our Consolidated Balance Sheets reflect cash, net of bank overdrafts, under all of our pooling arrangements, and as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 the amounts netted were $1,590.7 and $1,415.3, respectively.

DEBT CREDIT RATINGS

Our long-term debt credit ratings as of February 13, 2015 are listed below.



	Moody’s Investor Service	Standard and Poor’s	Fitch Ratings
Rating	Baa3	BB+	BBB
Outlook	Stable	Stable	Stable

We are rated investment-grade by both Moody's Investor Services ("Moody's") and Fitch Ratings. The most recent update to our credit ratings occurred in February 2013, when Standard & Poor's changed our outlook from positive to stable. A credit rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the assigning credit rating agency. The rating of each credit rating agency should be evaluated independently of any other rating. Credit ratings could have an impact on liquidity, either adverse or favorable, including, among other things, because they could affect funding costs in the capital markets or otherwise. For example, our Credit Agreement fees and borrowing rates are based on a credit ratings grid.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

Our Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements and related disclosures requires us to make judgments, assumptions and estimates that affect the amounts reported and disclosed in the accompanying financial statements and footnotes. Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements. We believe that of our significant accounting policies, the following critical accounting estimates involve management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments. We consider these accounting estimates to be critical because changes in the underlying assumptions or estimates have the potential to materially impact our Consolidated Financial Statements. Management has discussed with our Audit Committee the development, selection, application and disclosure of these critical accounting estimates. We regularly evaluate our judgments, assumptions and estimates based on historical experience and various other factors that we believe to be relevant under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Revenue Recognition

Our revenues are primarily derived from the planning and execution of multi-channel advertising, marketing and communications programs around the world. Most of our client contracts are individually negotiated and, accordingly, the terms of client engagements and the bases on which we earn commissions and fees vary significantly. Our client contracts are complex arrangements that may include provisions for incentive compensation and vendor rebates and credits. Our largest clients are multinational entities, and, as such, we often provide services to these clients out of multiple offices and across many of our agencies. In arranging for such services, it is possible that we will enter into global, regional and local agreements. Agreements of this nature are reviewed by legal counsel to determine the governing terms to be followed by the offices and agencies involved. Critical judgments and estimates are involved in determining both the amount and timing of revenue recognition under these arrangements.

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Depending on the terms of a client contract, fees for services performed can be recognized in three principal ways: proportional performance (input or output), straight-line (or monthly basis) or completed contract.

Depending on the terms of the client contract, revenue is derived from diverse arrangements involving fees for services performed, commissions, performance incentive provisions and combinations of the three. Commissions are generally earned on the date of the broadcast or publication. Contractual arrangements with clients may also include performance incentive provisions designed to link a portion of our revenue to our performance relative to either qualitative or quantitative goals, or both. Performance incentives are recognized as revenue for quantitative targets when the target has been achieved and for qualitative targets when confirmation of the incentive is received from the client. The classification of client arrangements to determine the appropriate revenue recognition involves judgments. If the judgments change there can be a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements, and particularly on the allocation of revenues between periods.

The majority of our revenue is recorded as the net amount of our gross billings less pass-through expenses charged to a client. In most cases, the amount that is billed to clients significantly exceeds the amount of revenue that is earned and reflected in our Consolidated Financial Statements because of various pass-through expenses, such as production and media costs. We assess whether our agency or the third-party supplier is the primary obligor, and we evaluate the terms of our client agreements as part of this assessment. In addition, we give appropriate consideration to other key indicators such as latitude in establishing price, discretion in supplier selection and credit risk to the vendor. Because we operate broadly as an advertising agency, based on our primary lines of business and given the industry practice to generally record revenue on a net versus gross basis, we believe that there must be strong evidence in place to overcome the presumption of net revenue accounting. Accordingly, we generally record revenue net of pass-through charges as we believe the key indicators of the business suggest we generally act as an agent on behalf of our clients in our primary lines of business. In those businesses where the key indicators suggest we act as a principal (primarily sales promotion and event, sports and entertainment marketing), we record the gross amount billed to the client as revenue and the related incremental direct costs incurred as office and general expenses. In general, we also report revenue net of taxes assessed by governmental authorities that are directly imposed on our revenue-producing transactions.

As we provide services as part of our core operations, we generally incur incidental expenses, which, in practice, are commonly referred to as “out-of-pocket” expenses. These expenses often include expenses related to airfare, mileage, hotel stays, out-of-town meals and telecommunication charges. We record the reimbursements received for such incidental expenses as revenue with a corresponding offset to office and general expense.

The determination as to whether revenue in a particular line of business should be recognized net or gross involves complex judgments. If we make these judgments differently it could significantly affect our reported results. If it were determined that we must recognize a significant portion of revenues on a gross basis rather than a net basis it would positively impact revenues, have no impact on our operating income and have an adverse impact on operating margin.

We receive credits from our vendors and media outlets for transactions entered into on behalf of our clients that, based on the terms of our contracts and local law, are either remitted to our clients or retained by us. If amounts are to be passed through to clients, they are recorded as liabilities until settlement or, if retained by us, are recorded as revenue when earned.

Income Taxes

The provision for income taxes includes U.S. federal, state, local and foreign taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the year in which the temporary differences are expected to be reversed. Changes to enacted tax rates would result in either increases or decreases in the provision for income taxes in the period of change.

We are required to evaluate the realizability of our deferred tax assets, which is primarily dependent on future earnings. A valuation allowance shall be recognized when, based on available evidence, it is “more likely than not” that all or a portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The factors used in assessing valuation allowances include all available evidence, such as past operating results, estimates of future taxable income and the feasibility of tax planning strategies. In circumstances where there is negative evidence, establishment of a valuation allowance must be considered. We believe that cumulative losses in the most recent three-year period represent significant negative evidence when evaluating a decision to establish a valuation allowance. Conversely, a pattern of sustained profitability represents significant positive evidence when evaluating a decision to reverse a valuation allowance. Further, in those cases where a pattern of sustained profitability exists, projected future taxable income may also represent positive evidence, to the extent that such projections are determined to be reliable given the current economic environment. Accordingly, the increase and decrease of valuation allowances has had and could have a significant negative or positive impact on our current and future earnings.

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

The authoritative guidance for uncertainty in income taxes prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement criteria for the financial statement reporting of a tax position that an entity takes or expects to take in a tax return. Additionally, guidance is provided for de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure and transition. The assessment of recognition and measurement requires critical estimates and the use of complex judgments. We evaluate our tax positions using the “more likely than not” recognition threshold and then apply a measurement assessment to those positions that meet the recognition threshold. We have established tax reserves that we believe to be adequate in relation to the potential for additional assessments in each of the jurisdictions in which we are subject to taxation. We regularly assess the likelihood of additional tax assessments in those jurisdictions and adjust our reserves as additional information or events require.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

We account for our business combinations using the acquisition accounting method, which requires us to determine the fair value of net assets acquired and the related goodwill and other intangible assets. Determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed requires management's judgment and involves the use of significant estimates, including projections of future cash inflows and outflows, discount rates, asset lives and market multiples. Considering the characteristics of advertising, specialized marketing and communication services companies, our acquisitions usually do not have significant amounts of tangible assets, as the principal asset we typically acquire is creative talent. As a result, a substantial portion of the purchase price is allocated to goodwill and other intangible assets.

We review goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives not subject to amortization as of October 1^st each year and whenever events or significant changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. We evaluate the recoverability of goodwill at a reporting unit level. We have 13 reporting units that were subject to the 2014 annual impairment testing. Our annual impairment review as of October 1, 2014 did not result in an impairment charge at any of our reporting units.

During 2012, we adopted new authoritative guidance for goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, respectively, which permits an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is “more likely than not” that the goodwill or indefinite-lived intangible assets are impaired. Qualitative factors to consider may include macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, cost factors that may have a negative effect on earnings, financial performance, and other relevant entity-specific events such as changes in management, key personnel, strategy or clients, as well as pending litigation. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances such as those described above, an entity determines that it is "more likely than not" that the goodwill or indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired, then the entity is required to determine the fair value and perform the quantitative impairment test by comparing the fair value with the carrying value. Otherwise, no additional testing is required.

For reporting units not included in the qualitative assessment, or for any reporting units identified in the qualitative assessment as "more likely than not" that the fair value is less than its carrying value, the first step of the quantitative impairment test is performed. For our annual impairment test, we compare the respective fair value of our reporting units' equity to the carrying value of their net assets. The first step is a comparison of the fair value of each reporting unit to its carrying value, including goodwill. The sum of the fair values of all our reporting units is reconciled to our current market capitalization plus an estimated control premium. Goodwill allocated to a reporting unit whose fair value is equal to or greater than its carrying value is not impaired, and no further testing is required. Should the carrying amount for a reporting unit exceed its fair value, then the first step of the quantitative impairment test is failed and the magnitude of any goodwill impairment is determined under the second step, which is a comparison of the implied fair value of a reporting unit's goodwill to its carrying value. The implied fair value of goodwill is the excess of the fair value of the reporting unit over its carrying value, excluding goodwill. Impaired goodwill is written down to its implied fair value with a charge to expense in the period the impairment is identified.

For our 2014 and 2013 annual impairment tests, we performed a qualitative impairment assessment for nine and six reporting units and performed the first step of a two-step quantitative impairment test for four and seven reporting units, respectively. For the qualitative analysis we took into consideration all the relevant events and circumstances, including financial performance, macroeconomic conditions and entity-specific factors such as client wins and losses. Based on this assessment, we have concluded that for each of our reporting units subject to the qualitative assessment, it is not “more likely than not” that its fair value was less than its carrying value; therefore, no additional testing was required.

The 2014 and 2013 fair values of reporting units for which we performed quantitative impairment tests were estimated using a combination of the income approach, which incorporates the use of the discounted cash flow method, and the market approach, which incorporates the use of earnings and revenue multiples based on market data. We generally applied an equal weighting to the income and market approaches for our analysis. For the income approach, we used projections, which require the use of significant estimates and assumptions specific to the reporting unit as well as those based on general economic conditions. Factors specific to each reporting unit include revenue growth, profit margins, terminal value growth rates, capital expenditures projections, assumed tax rates, discount rates and other assumptions deemed reasonable by management. For the market approach, we used judgment in identifying the relevant comparable-company market multiples.

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

These estimates and assumptions may vary between each reporting unit depending on the facts and circumstances specific to that unit. The discount rate for each reporting unit is influenced by general market conditions as well as factors specific to the reporting unit. For the 2014 test, the discount rates we used for our reporting units tested were between 11.5% and 12.0%, and the terminal value growth rate for all four of our reporting units tested was 3.0%. The terminal value growth rate represents the expected long-term growth rate for the advertising and marketing services industry, incorporating the type of services the reporting unit provides, and the global economy. For the 2014 test, the revenue growth rates for our reporting units used in our analysis were generally between 3.0% and 6.0%. Factors influencing the revenue growth rates include the nature of the services the reporting unit provides for its clients, the geographic locations in which the reporting unit conducts business and the maturity of the reporting unit. We believe that the estimates and assumptions we made are reasonable, but they are susceptible to change from period to period. Actual results of operations, cash flows and other factors will likely differ from the estimates used in our valuation, and it is possible that differences and changes could be material. A deterioration in profitability, adverse market conditions, significant client losses, changes in spending levels of our existing clients or a different economic outlook than currently estimated by management could have a significant impact on the estimated fair value of our reporting units and could result in an impairment charge in the future.

We also perform a sensitivity analysis to detail the impact that changes in assumptions may have on the outcome of the first step of the impairment test. Our sensitivity analysis provides a range of fair value for each reporting unit, where the low end of the range reduces growth rates by 0.25% and increases discount rates by 0.5%, and the high end of the range increases growth rates by 0.25% and decreases discount rates by 0.5%. We use the average of our fair values for purposes of our comparison between carrying value and fair value for the first step of the quantitative impairment test.

The table below displays the goodwill midpoint of the range for each reporting unit tested in the 2014 and 2013 annual impairment tests. Our results of the comparison between carrying value and fair value at the average fair value indicated that for the 2014 test there were no reporting units and for the 2013 test there was one reporting unit whose fair value exceeded its carrying value by less than 20%.



	2014 Impairment Test				2013 Impairment Test
Reporting Unit	Goodwill		Fair value exceeds carrying value by:	Reporting Unit	Goodwill		Fair value exceeds carrying value by:
A	$	548.4	> 50%	A	$	583.4	> 25%
B	$	66.8	> 85%	B	$	496.1	> 660%
C	$	25.8	> 180%	C	$	209.1	> 35%
D	$	150.0	> 55%	D	$	25.8	> 255%
				E	$	197.3	> 30%
				F	$	182.1	> 50%
				G	$	66.8	> 10%

Additionally, we performed a sensitivity analysis and reviewed the carrying values compared to the high end and low end of the valuation range. The table below displays the range of the sensitivity analysis for each reporting unit tested in the 2014 and 2013 annual impairment tests. For the 2014 test, using the low end of the valuation range, there were no reporting units whose fair value exceeded its carrying value by less than 20%. For the 2013 test, using the low end of the valuation range, there were two reporting units whose fair value exceeded its carrying value by less than 20%, but not less than 0%.

2014 Impairment Test

2013 Impairment Test

Reporting Unit

Goodwill

Fair value exceeds carrying value by:

Reporting Unit

Goodwill

Fair value exceeds carrying value by:

Low

High

Low

High

548.4

> 45%

> 55%

583.4

> 15%

> 30%

66.8

> 80%

> 95%

496.1

> 600%

> 700%

25.8

> 170%

> 190%

209.1

> 30%

> 40%

150.0

> 45%

> 60%

25.8

> 240%

> 275%

197.3

> 20%

> 35%

182.1

> 40%

> 60%

66.8

> 2%

> 20%

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Based on the analysis described above, for the reporting units for which we performed the first step of the quantitative impairment test, we concluded that our goodwill was not impaired as of October 1, 2014, because these reporting units passed the first step of the test as the fair values of each of the reporting units were substantially in excess of their respective net book values.

We review intangible assets with definite lives subject to amortization whenever events or circumstances indicate that a carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of these assets is determined by comparing the carrying value of these assets to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by these assets. These assets are impaired when their carrying value exceeds their fair value. Impaired intangible assets with definite lives subject to amortization are written down to their fair value with a charge to expense in the period the impairment is identified. Intangible assets with definite lives are amortized on a straight-line basis with estimated useful lives generally between 7 and 15 years. Events or circumstances that might require impairment testing include the loss of a significant client, the identification of other impaired assets within a reporting unit, loss of key personnel, the disposition of a significant portion of a reporting unit, significant decline in stock price or a significant adverse change in business climate or regulations.

Pension and Postretirement Benefit Plans

We use various actuarial assumptions in determining our net pension and postretirement benefit costs and obligations. Management is required to make significant judgments about a number of actuarial assumptions, including discount rates and expected returns on plan assets, which are updated annually or more frequently with the occurrence of significant events.

The discount rate is a significant assumption that impacts our net pension and postretirement benefit costs and obligations. We determine our discount rates for our domestic pension and postretirement benefit plans and significant foreign pension plans based on either a bond selection/settlement approach or bond yield curve approach. Using the bond selection/settlement approach, we determine the discount rate by selecting a portfolio of corporate bonds appropriate to provide for the projected benefit payments. Using the bond yield curve approach, we determine the discount rate by matching the plans' cash flows to spot rates developed from a yield curve. Both approaches utilize high-quality AA-rated corporate bonds and the plans' projected cash flows to develop a discounted value of the benefit payments, which is then used to develop a single discount rate. In countries where markets for high-quality long-term AA corporate bonds are not well developed, a portfolio of long-term government bonds is used as a basis to develop hypothetical corporate bond yields, which serve as a basis to derive the discount rate.

The discount rate used to calculate net pension and postretirement benefit costs is determined at the beginning of each year. For the year ended December 31, 2014, a discount rate of 4.85% was used for the domestic pension and postretirement benefit plans and a weighted-average discount rate of 4.29% for the significant foreign pension plans to calculate 2014 net pension and postretirement benefit costs. A 25 basis point increase or decrease in the discount rate would have decreased or increased the 2014 net pension and postretirement benefit cost by approximately $1.0.

The discount rate used to measure our benefit obligations is determined at the end of each year. As of December 31, 2014, we used a discount rate of 4.15% for the domestic pension plan and 4.00% for the domestic postretirement benefit plan and a weighted-average discount rate of 3.41% for our significant foreign pension plans to measure our benefit obligations. A 25 basis point increase or decrease in the discount rate would have decreased or increased the December 31, 2014 benefit obligation by approximately $28.0 and $30.0, respectively.

The expected rate of return on pension plan assets is another significant assumption that impacts our net pension cost and is determined at the beginning of the year. Our expected rate of return considers asset class index returns over various market and economic conditions, current and expected market conditions, risk premiums associated with asset classes and long-term inflation rates. We determine both a short-term and long-term view and then select a long-term rate of return assumption that matches the duration of our liabilities.

For 2014, the weighted-average expected rates of return of 7.00% and 6.18% were used in the calculation of net pension costs for the domestic and significant foreign pension plans, respectively. For 2015, we plan to use expected rates of return of 7.00% and 5.01% for the domestic and significant foreign pension plans, respectively. Changes in the rates are typically due to lower or higher expected future returns based on the mix of assets held. A lower expected rate of return would increase our net pension cost. A 25 basis point increase or decrease in the expected return on plan assets would have decreased or increased the 2014 net pension cost by approximately $1.0.

RECENT ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

See Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on certain accounting standards that have been adopted during 2014 or that have not yet been required to be implemented and may be applicable to our future operations.



Item 7A.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

(Amounts in millions)

In the normal course of business, we are exposed to market risks related to interest rates, foreign currency rates and certain balance sheet items. From time to time, we use derivative instruments, pursuant to established guidelines and policies, to manage some portion of these risks. Derivative instruments utilized in our hedging activities are viewed as risk management tools and are not used for trading or speculative purposes.

Interest Rates

Our exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relates primarily to the fair market value and cash flows of our debt obligations. The majority of our debt (approximately 91% and 86% as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively) bears interest at fixed rates. We do have debt with variable interest rates, but a 10% increase or decrease in interest rates would not be material to our interest expense or cash flows. The fair market value of our debt is sensitive to changes in interest rates, and the impact of a 10% change in interest rates is summarized below.



	Increase/(Decrease) in Fair Market Value
As of December 31,	10% Increase in Interest Rates			10% Decrease in Interest Rates
2014	$	(35.5	)	$	36.6
2013	(26.9		)	27.9

We have used interest rate swaps for risk management purposes to manage our exposure to changes in interest rates. We do not have any interest rate swaps outstanding as of December 31, 2014.

We had $1,667.2 of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of December 31, 2014 that we generally invest in conservative, short-term bank deposits or securities. The interest income generated from these investments is subject to both domestic and foreign interest rate movements. During 2014 and 2013, we had interest income of $27.4 and $24.7, respectively. Based on our 2014 results, a 100-basis-point increase or decrease in interest rates would affect our interest income by approximately $16.7, assuming that all cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities are impacted in the same manner and balances remain constant from year-end 2014 levels.

Foreign Currency Rates

We are subject to translation and transaction risks related to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Since we report revenues and expenses in U.S. Dollars, changes in exchange rates may either positively or negatively affect our consolidated revenues and expenses (as expressed in U.S. Dollars) from foreign operations. The primary foreign currencies that impacted our results during 2014 included the Argentine Peso, Australian Dollar, Brazilian Real and British Pound Sterling. Based on 2014 exchange rates and operating results, if the U.S. Dollar were to strengthen or weaken by 10%, we currently estimate operating income would decrease or increase approximately 4%, assuming that all currencies are impacted in the same manner and our international revenue and expenses remain constant at 2014 levels.

The functional currency of our foreign operations is generally their respective local currency. Assets and liabilities are translated at the exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date, and revenues and expenses are translated at the average exchange rates during the period presented. The resulting translation adjustments are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax, in the stockholders’ equity section of our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Our foreign subsidiaries generally collect revenues and pay expenses in their functional currency, mitigating transaction risk. However, certain subsidiaries may enter into transactions in currencies other than their functional currency. Assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency are susceptible to movements in foreign currency until final settlement. Currency transaction gains or losses primarily arising from transactions in currencies other than the functional currency are included in office and general expenses. We have not entered into a material amount of foreign currency forward exchange contracts or other derivative financial instruments to hedge the effects of potential adverse fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.

We monitor the currencies of countries in which we operate in order to determine if the country should be considered a highly inflationary environment. A currency is determined to be highly inflationary when there is cumulative inflation of approximately 100% or more over a three-year period. If this occurs the functional currency of that country would be changed to our reporting currency, the U.S. Dollar, and foreign exchange gains or losses would be recognized on all monetary transactions, assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar until the currency is no longer considered highly inflationary.

Credit and Market Risks

Balance sheet items that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk are primarily cash and cash equivalents, short-term marketable securities, accounts receivable and expenditures billable to clients. We invest our cash primarily in investment-grade, short-term securities and limit the amount of credit exposure to any one counterparty. Concentrations of credit risk with respect to accounts receivable are mitigated by our large number of clients and their dispersion across different industries and geographic areas. We perform ongoing credit evaluations on a large number of our clients and maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts based upon the expected collectability of all accounts receivable.

Our pension plan assets are also exposed to market risk. The fair value of our pension plan assets may appreciate or depreciate during the year, which can result in lower or higher pension expense and funding requirements in future periods.



Item 8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

INDEX




	Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm	37

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012	38

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012	39

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013	40

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012	41

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012	42

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements	44

1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	44
2. Debt and Credit Arrangements	49
3. Earnings Per Share	52
4. Acquisitions	52
5. Supplementary Data	54
6. Intangible Assets	56
7. Income Taxes	57
8. Restructuring and Other Reorganization-Related Charges (Reversals), Net	60
9. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, Net of Tax	61
10. Incentive Compensation Plans	62
11. Fair Value Measurements	65
12. Employee Benefits	67
13. Segment Information	72
14. Commitments and Contingencies	74
15. Recent Accounting Standards	75
16. Results by Quarter (Unaudited)	77
17. Subsequent Events	77

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements listed in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets and the related Consolidated Statements of Operations, of Comprehensive Income, of Cash Flows, and of Stockholders’ Equity present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc., and its subsidiaries, at December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). The Company's management is responsible for these financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on these financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our integrated audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audits of the financial statements included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

New York, New York

February 23, 2015

THE INTERPUBLIC GROUP OF COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)



	Years ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
REVENUE	$	7,537.1		$	7,122.3		$	6,956.2

OPERATING EXPENSES:
Salaries and related expenses	4,820.4			4,545.5			4,391.9
Office and general expenses	1,928.1			1,917.9			1,887.2
Restructuring and other reorganization-related charges (reversals), net	0.2			60.6			(1.2		)
Total operating expenses	6,748.7			6,524.0			6,277.9

OPERATING INCOME	788.4			598.3			678.3

EXPENSES AND OTHER INCOME:
Interest expense	(84.9		)	(122.7		)	(133.5		)
Interest income	27.4			24.7			29.5
Other (expense) income, net	(10.2		)	(32.3		)	100.5
Total (expenses) and other income	(67.7		)	(130.3		)	(3.5		)

Income before income taxes	720.7			468.0			674.8
Provision for income taxes	216.5			181.2			213.3
Income of consolidated companies	504.2			286.8			461.5
Equity in net income of unconsolidated affiliates	1.2			2.1			3.1
NET INCOME	505.4			288.9			464.6
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(28.3		)	(21.0		)	(17.9		)
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO IPG	477.1			267.9			446.7
Dividends on preferred stock	0.0			(8.7		)	(11.6		)
NET INCOME AVAILABLE TO IPG COMMON STOCKHOLDERS	$	477.1		$	259.2		$	435.1

Earnings per share available to IPG common stockholders:
Basic	$	1.14		$	0.62		$	1.01
Diluted	$	1.12		$	0.61		$	0.94

Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic	419.2			421.1			432.5
Diluted	425.4			429.6			481.4

Dividends declared per common share	$	0.38		$	0.30		$	0.24

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

THE INTERPUBLIC GROUP OF COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(Amounts in Millions)



	Years ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
NET INCOME	$	505.4		$	288.9		$	464.6

OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(194.3		)	(116.9		)	9.7
Less: reclassification adjustments recognized in net income	(0.9		)	0.0			0.0
Income tax effect	0.0			(0.6		)	0.0
	(195.2		)	(117.5		)	9.7

Available-for-sale securities:
Changes in market value of available-for-sale securities	0.7			0.8			0.4
Less: recognition of previously unrealized (gains) losses included in net income	0.0			(1.4		)	0.7
Income tax effect	(0.3		)	0.2			(0.5		)
	0.4			(0.4		)	0.6

Derivative instruments:
Changes in fair value of derivative instruments	(0.6		)	0.0			(21.9		)
Less: recognition of previously unrealized losses included in net income	1.9			1.7			0.3
Income tax effect	(0.5		)	(0.7		)	8.9
	0.8			1.0			(12.7		)

Defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans:
Net actuarial losses for the period	(55.5		)	(20.6		)	(67.9		)
Less: amortization of unrecognized losses, transition obligation and prior service cost included in net income	10.0			10.8			7.7
Less: settlement and curtailment losses (gains) included in net income	0.5			(0.1		)	0.7
Other	0.5			1.0			(3.4		)
Income tax effect	10.4			(1.3		)	1.9
	(34.1		)	(10.2		)	(61.0		)

Other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(228.1		)	(127.1		)	(63.4		)
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	277.3			161.8			401.2
Less: comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	25.7			17.1			16.8
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO IPG	$	251.6		$	144.7		$	384.4

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

THE INTERPUBLIC GROUP OF COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Amounts in Millions)



	December 31, 2014			December 31, 2013
ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	1,660.6		$	1,636.8
Marketable securities	6.6			5.3
Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $59.5 and $64.9	4,376.6			4,565.4
Expenditures billable to clients	1,424.2			1,536.4
Other current assets	342.2			340.1
Total current assets	7,810.2			8,084.0
Property and equipment, net	548.2			540.0
Deferred income taxes	192.9			144.0
Goodwill	3,669.2			3,629.0
Other non-current assets	526.7			508.0
TOTAL ASSETS	$	12,747.2		$	12,905.0

LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	$	6,558.0		$	6,914.2
Accrued liabilities	796.0			718.4
Short-term borrowings	107.2			179.1
Current portion of long-term debt	2.1			353.6
Total current liabilities	7,463.3			8,165.3
Long-term debt	1,623.5			1,129.8
Deferred compensation	527.9			514.3
Other non-current liabilities	723.9			595.7
TOTAL LIABILITIES	10,338.6			10,405.1

Commitments and contingencies (see Note 14)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 4)	257.4			249.1

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY:
Common stock, $0.10 par value, shares authorized: 800.0 shares issued: 2014 – 414.6; 2013 – 532.3 shares outstanding: 2014 – 413.8; 2013 – 424.5	41.2			53.0
Additional paid-in capital	1,547.5			2,975.2
Retained earnings	1,183.3			864.5
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(636.7		)	(411.2		)
	2,135.3			3,481.5
Less: Treasury stock, at cost: 2014 - 0.8 shares; 2013 - 107.8 shares	(19.0		)	(1,266.3		)
Total IPG stockholders’ equity	2,116.3			2,215.2
Noncontrolling interests	34.9			35.6
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,151.2			2,250.8
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY	$	12,747.2		$	12,905.0

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

THE INTERPUBLIC GROUP OF COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Amounts in Millions)



	Years ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$	505.4		$	288.9		$	464.6
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of fixed assets and intangible assets	163.0			157.4			147.7
Provision for uncollectible receivables	7.4			12.6			16.3
Amortization of restricted stock and other non-cash compensation	54.3			43.1			44.5
Net amortization of bond discounts and deferred financing costs	5.1			8.6			1.8
Non-cash (gain) loss related to early extinguishment of debt	(0.5		)	15.2			0.0
Deferred income tax provision	83.5			69.4			103.6
Gain on sale of an investment	0.0			0.0			(93.6		)
Other	13.0			3.2			12.3
Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and dispositions, providing cash
Accounts receivable	(20.1		)	(157.1		)	(44.7		)
Expenditures billable to clients	83.5			(241.5		)	(73.8		)
Other current assets	(57.2		)	(11.3		)	3.5
Accounts payable	(177.1		)	417.7			(120.4		)
Accrued liabilities	39.8			(17.4		)	(57.8		)
Other non-current assets and liabilities	(30.6		)	4.1			(46.8		)
Net cash provided by operating activities	669.5			592.9			357.2
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	(148.7		)	(173.0		)	(169.2		)
Acquisitions, including deferred payments, net of cash acquired	(67.8		)	(61.5		)	(145.5		)
Net (purchases) sales and maturities of short-term marketable securities	(0.6		)	10.8			(1.2		)
Proceeds from sales of businesses and investments, net of cash sold	14.2			2.0			107.2
Other investing activities	2.1			(2.8		)	(1.5		)
Net cash used in investing activities	(200.8		)	(224.5		)	(210.2		)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	499.1			0.0			1,044.6
Purchase of long-term debt	(351.2		)	(602.4		)	(401.5		)
Repurchase of common stock	(275.1		)	(481.8		)	(350.5		)
Common stock dividends	(159.0		)	(126.0		)	(103.4		)
Exercise of stock options	20.1			47.4			10.8
Acquisition-related payments	(13.6		)	(27.6		)	(37.1		)
Net (decrease) increase in short term bank borrowings	(63.2		)	5.4			12.6
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(17.0		)	(14.9		)	(17.0		)
Preferred stock dividends	0.0			(11.6		)	(11.6		)
Excess tax benefit on share-based compensation	16.7			0.0			15.0
Other financing activities	(0.7		)	(0.8		)	(30.6		)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(343.9		)	(1,212.3		)	131.3
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(101.0		)	(94.1		)	(6.2		)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	23.8			(938.0		)	272.1
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1,636.8			2,574.8			2,302.7
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$	1,660.6		$	1,636.8		$	2,574.8

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

THE INTERPUBLIC GROUP OF COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(Amounts in Millions)



	Preferred Stock			Common Stock					Additional Paid-In Capital			Retained Earnings			Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, Net of Tax			Treasury Stock			Total IPG Stockholders’ Equity			Noncontrolling Interests			Total Stockholders’ Equity
				Shares		Amount
Balance at December 31, 2011	$	221.5		491.4		$	48.2		$	2,427.5		$	405.1		$	(225.7	)	$	(414.9	)	$	2,461.7		$	35.6		$	2,497.3
Net income												446.7									446.7			17.9			464.6
Other comprehensive loss															(62.3		)				(62.3		)	(1.1		)	(63.4		)
Reclassifications related to redeemable noncontrolling interests									12.0												12.0			(1.1		)	10.9
Noncontrolling interest transactions																								(2.2		)	(2.2		)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests																								(17.0		)	(17.0		)
Change in redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interests												2.7									2.7						2.7
Repurchase of common stock																		(350.5		)	(350.5		)				(350.5		)
Common stock dividends												(103.4		)							(103.4		)				(103.4		)
Preferred stock dividends												(11.6		)							(11.6		)				(11.6		)
Stock-based compensation				1.6		0.7			31.3												32.0						32.0
Exercise of stock options				1.1		0.1			10.8												10.9						10.9
Shares withheld for taxes				(2.1	)	(0.2		)	(23.5		)										(23.7		)				(23.7		)
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation									14.8												14.8						14.8
Other									(7.5		)	(1.2		)							(8.7		)	3.9			(4.8		)
Balance at December 31, 2012	$	221.5		492.0		$	48.8		$	2,465.4		$	738.3		$	(288.0	)	$	(765.4	)	$	2,420.6		$	36.0		$	2,456.6
Net income												267.9									267.9			21.0			288.9
Other comprehensive loss															(123.2		)				(123.2		)	(3.9		)	(127.1		)
Reclassifications related to redeemable noncontrolling interests									0.2												0.2			(4.6		)	(4.4		)
Noncontrolling interest transactions									(0.1		)										(0.1		)	1.1			1.0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests																								(14.9		)	(14.9		)
Change in redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interests												(6.2		)							(6.2		)				(6.2		)
Repurchase of common stock																		(481.8		)	(481.8		)				(481.8		)
Common stock dividends												(126.0		)							(126.0		)				(126.0		)
Preferred stock dividends												(8.7		)							(8.7		)				(8.7		)
Conversion of convertible notes to common stock				16.9		1.7			198.3												200.0						200.0
Capped call transaction									19.1									(19.1		)	0.0						0.0
Conversion of preferred stock to common stock	(221.5		)	17.3		1.7			219.8												0.0						0.0
Stock-based compensation				2.4		0.5			43.1												43.6						43.6
Exercise of stock options				5.2		0.5			47.4												47.9						47.9
Shares withheld for taxes				(1.5	)	(0.2		)	(19.9		)										(20.1		)				(20.1		)
Other									1.9			(0.8		)							1.1			0.9			2.0
Balance at December 31, 2013	$	0.0		532.3		$	53.0		$	2,975.2		$	864.5		$	(411.2	)	$	(1,266.3	)	$	2,215.2		$	35.6		$	2,250.8

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

THE INTERPUBLIC GROUP OF COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(Amounts in Millions)



	Preferred Stock		Common Stock					Additional Paid-In Capital			Retained Earnings			Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, Net of Tax			Treasury Stock			Total IPG Stockholders’ Equity			Noncontrolling Interests			Total Stockholders’ Equity
			Shares		Amount
Balance at December 31, 2013	$	0.0	532.3		$	53.0		$	2,975.2		$	864.5		$	(411.2	)	$	(1,266.3	)	$	2,215.2		$	35.6		$	2,250.8
Net income											477.1									477.1			28.3			505.4
Other comprehensive loss														(225.5		)				(225.5		)	(2.6		)	(228.1		)
Reclassifications related to redeemable noncontrolling interests								(3.5		)										(3.5		)	(4.2		)	(7.7		)
Noncontrolling interest transactions								2.1												2.1			(4.4		)	(2.3		)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests																							(17.0		)	(17.0		)
Change in redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interests											1.5									1.5						1.5
Repurchase of common stock																	(275.1		)	(275.1		)				(275.1		)
Retirement of treasury stock			(121.9	)	(12.2		)	(1,510.2		)							1,522.4			0.0						0.0
Common stock dividends											(159.0		)							(159.0		)				(159.0		)
Stock-based compensation			3.4		0.3			63.5												63.8						63.8
Exercise of stock options			1.7		0.2			20.1												20.3						20.3
Shares withheld for taxes			(0.9	)	(0.1		)	(14.9		)										(15.0		)				(15.0		)
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation								15.2												15.2						15.2
Other											(0.8		)							(0.8		)	(0.8		)	(1.6		)
Balance at December 31, 2014	$	0.0	414.6		$	41.2		$	1,547.5		$	1,183.3		$	(636.7	)	$	(19.0	)	$	2,116.3		$	34.9		$	2,151.2

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Note 1: Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Business Description

The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company,” “IPG,” “we,” “us” or “our”) is one of the world’s premier global advertising and marketing services companies. Our agencies create customized marketing programs for clients that range in scale from large global marketers to regional and local clients. Comprehensive global services are critical to effectively serve our multinational and local clients in markets throughout the world, as they seek to build brands, increase sales of their products and services and gain market share in an increasingly complex and fragmented media landscape.

Principles of Consolidation

The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, some of which are not wholly owned. Investments in companies over which we do not have control, but have the ability to exercise significant influence, are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Investments in companies over which we have neither control nor have the ability to exercise significant influence are accounted for under the cost method. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

We have consolidated certain entities meeting the definition of variable interest entities, and the inclusion of these entities does not have a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior period financial statements to conform to the current-year presentation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) requires us to make judgments, assumptions and estimates that affect the amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the reporting date and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates and assumptions.

Revenue Recognition

Our revenues are primarily derived from the planning and execution of multi-channel advertising, marketing and communications programs around the world. Our revenues are directly dependent upon the advertising, marketing and corporate communications requirements of our existing clients and our ability to win new clients. Our revenue is typically lowest in the first quarter and highest in the fourth quarter. This reflects the seasonal spending of our clients, incentives earned at year end on various contracts and project work that is typically completed during the fourth quarter.

Most of our client contracts are individually negotiated and, accordingly, the terms of client engagements and the bases on which we earn commissions and fees vary significantly. As is customary in the industry, our contracts generally provide for termination by either party on relatively short notice, usually 90 days.

Our client contracts are complex arrangements that may include provisions for incentive compensation and vendor rebates and credits. Our largest clients are multinational entities and, as such, we often provide services to these clients out of multiple offices and across many of our agencies. In arranging for such services, it is possible that we will enter into global, regional and local agreements. Agreements of this nature are reviewed by legal counsel to determine the governing terms to be followed by the offices and agencies involved.

Revenue for our services is recognized when all of the following criteria are satisfied: (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (ii) the price is fixed or determinable; (iii) collectability is reasonably assured; and (iv) services have been performed. Depending on the terms of a client contract, fees for services performed can be recognized in three principal ways: proportional performance (input or output), straight-line (or monthly basis) or completed contract.

•

Fees are generally recognized as earned based on the proportional performance input method of revenue recognition in situations where our fee is reconcilable to the actual hours incurred to service the client as detailed in a contractual staffing plan, where the fee is earned on a per hour basis or where actual hours incurred are provided to the client on a periodic basis (whether or not the fee is reconcilable), with the amount of revenue recognized in these situations limited to the amount realizable under the client contract. We believe an input-based measure (the ‘hour’) is appropriate in situations where the client arrangement essentially functions as a time and out-of-pocket expense contract and the client receives the benefit of the services provided throughout the contract term.

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)


•	Fees are recognized on a straight-line or monthly basis when service is provided essentially on a pro-rata basis and the terms of the contract support monthly basis accounting.

•

Certain fees (such as for major marketing events) are deferred until contract completion if the final act is so significant in relation to the service transaction taken as a whole or if any of the terms of the contract do not otherwise qualify for proportional performance or monthly basis recognition. Fees may also be deferred and recognized upon delivery of a project if the terms of the client contract identify individual discrete projects.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents are highly liquid investments, which include certificates of deposit, government securities, commercial paper and time deposits with original maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase and are stated at estimated fair value, which approximates cost. Cash is maintained at multiple high-credit-quality financial institutions.

Short-Term Marketable Securities

Short-term marketable securities include investment-grade time deposits, commercial paper and government securities with maturities greater than three months but less than twelve months. These securities are classified as available-for-sale and are carried at fair value with net unrealized gains and losses reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss, which is a component of stockholders’ equity. The cost of securities is determined based upon the average cost of the securities sold.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The allowance for doubtful accounts is estimated based on the aging of accounts receivable, reviews of client credit reports, industry trends and economic indicators, as well as reviews of recent payment history for specific customers. The estimate is based largely on a formula-driven calculation but is supplemented with economic indicators and knowledge of potential write-offs of specific client accounts.

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Expenditures Billable to Clients

Expenditures billable to clients are primarily comprised of production and media costs that have been incurred but have not yet been billed to clients, as well as fees that have been earned which have not yet been billed to clients. Unbilled amounts are presented in expenditures billable to clients regardless of whether they relate to our fees or production and media costs. A provision is made for unrecoverable costs as deemed appropriate.

Accounts Payable

Accounts payable includes all operating payables, including those related to all media and production costs. These payables are due within one year.

Investments

Our investments in publicly traded companies over which we do not exert a significant influence are classified as available-for-sale. These investments are reported at fair value based on quoted market prices with net unrealized gains and losses reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss. Our non-publicly traded investments and all other publicly traded investments, including investments to fund certain deferred compensation and retirement obligations, are accounted for using the equity method or cost method. We do not disclose the fair value for equity method investments or investments held at cost as it is not practical to estimate fair value since there is no readily available market data and it is cost prohibitive to obtain independent valuations. We regularly review our equity and cost method investments to determine whether a significant event or change in circumstances has occurred that may impact the fair value of each investment. In the event a decline in fair value of an investment occurs, we determine if the decline has been other-than-temporary. We consider our investments strategic and long-term in nature, so we determine if the fair value decline is recoverable within a reasonable period. For our investments, we evaluate fair value based on specific information (valuation methodologies, estimates of appraisals, financial statements, etc.) in addition to quoted market price, if available. We consider all known quantitative and qualitative factors in determining if an other-than-temporary decline in value of an investment has occurred.

Derivatives

We are exposed to market risk related to interest rates, foreign currency rates and certain balance sheet items. From time to time we enter into derivative instruments for risk management purposes, and not for speculative purposes. All derivative instruments are recorded at fair value on our balance sheet. Changes in fair value are immediately included in earnings if the derivatives are not designated as a hedge instrument or if the derivatives do not qualify as effective hedges. For derivatives designated as hedge instruments, we evaluate for hedge accounting both at inception and throughout the hedge period. If a derivative is designated as a fair value hedge, then changes in the fair value of the derivative are offset against the changes in the fair value of the underlying hedged item. If a derivative is designated as a cash flow hedge, then the effective portion of the changes in the fair value of the derivative is recognized as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income and subsequently reclassified to earnings in our Consolidated Statement of Operations in the same period as the underlying hedged transaction affects earnings.

Property and Equipment

Furniture, equipment, leasehold improvements and buildings are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Furniture and equipment are depreciated generally using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, which range from 3 to 7 years for furniture and equipment, 10 to 35 years for buildings and the shorter of the useful life or the remaining lease term for leasehold improvements. Land is stated at cost and is not depreciated.

We capitalize certain internal and external costs incurred to acquire or create internal use software, principally related to our enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) systems. Our ERP systems are stated at cost, net of accumulated amortization and are amortized using the straight-line method over 10 years. All other internal use computer software are stated at cost, net of accumulated amortization and are amortized using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, which range from 3 to 7 years.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

assets, as the principal asset we typically acquire is creative talent. As a result, a substantial portion of the purchase price is allocated to goodwill and other intangible assets.

The fair value of a reporting unit for 2014 and 2013 was estimated using a combination of the income approach, which incorporates the use of the discounted cash flow method, and the market approach, which incorporates the use of earnings and revenue multiples based on market data.

Foreign Currencies

We monitor the currencies of countries in which we operate in order to determine if the country should be considered a highly inflationary environment. A currency is determined to be highly inflationary when there is cumulative inflation of approximately 100% or more over a three-year period. If this occurs the functional currency of that country would be changed to our reporting currency, the U.S. Dollar, and foreign exchange gains or losses would be recognized on all monetary transactions, assets and liabilities in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar until the currency is no longer considered highly inflationary.

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Income Taxes

The provision for income taxes includes U.S. federal, state, local and foreign taxes. Income taxes are accounted for under the liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the year in which the temporary differences are expected to be reversed. We evaluate the realizability of our deferred tax assets and establish a valuation allowance when it is “more likely than not” that all or a portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. We evaluate our tax positions using the “more likely than not” recognition threshold and then apply a measurement assessment to those positions that meet the recognition threshold. The factors used in assessing valuation allowances include all available evidence, such as past operating results, estimates of future taxable income and the feasibility of tax planning strategies.We have established tax reserves that we believe to be adequate in relation to the potential for additional assessments in each of the jurisdictions in which we are subject to taxation. We regularly assess the likelihood of additional tax assessments in those jurisdictions and adjust our reserves as additional information or events require.

Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests

Many of our acquisitions include provisions under which the noncontrolling equity owners can require us to purchase additional interests in a subsidiary at their discretion. Payments for these redeemable noncontrolling interests may be contingent on projected operating performance and satisfying other conditions specified in the related agreements. These payments are also subject to revision in accordance with the terms of the agreements. We record these redeemable noncontrolling interests in “mezzanine equity” in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Each reporting period, redeemable noncontrolling interests are reported at their estimated redemption value, but not less than their initial fair value. Any adjustment to the redemption value above initial value prior to exercise will also impact retained earnings or additional paid-in capital, but will not impact net income. Adjustments as a result of currency translation will affect the redeemable noncontrolling interest balance, but do not impact retained earnings or additional paid-in capital.

Earnings Per Share (“EPS”)

Basic EPS available to IPG common stockholders equals net income available to IPG common stockholders divided by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the applicable period. Diluted EPS equals net income available to IPG common stockholders adjusted to exclude, if dilutive, preferred stock dividends, interest expense related to potentially dilutive securities calculated using the effective interest rate method and the benefit from the preferred stock repurchased, divided by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, plus any additional common shares that would have been outstanding if potentially dilutive shares had been issued.

Diluted EPS reflect the potential dilution that would occur if certain potentially dilutive securities or debt obligations were exercised or converted into common stock. The potential issuance of common stock is assumed to occur at the beginning of the year (or at the time of issuance of the potentially dilutive instrument, if later) and the incremental shares are included using the treasury stock or “if-converted” method. The proceeds utilized in applying the treasury stock method consist of the amount, if any, to be paid upon exercise and, as it relates to stock-based compensation, the amount of compensation cost attributed to future service not yet recognized and any tax benefits credited to additional paid-in-capital related to the exercise. These proceeds are then assumed to be used to purchase common stock at the average market price of our stock during the period. The incremental shares (difference between the shares assumed to be issued and the shares assumed to be purchased), to the extent they would have been dilutive, are included in the denominator of the diluted EPS calculation.

We may be required to calculate basic EPS using the two-class method, as a result of our redeemable noncontrolling interests. To the extent that the redemption value increases and exceeds the then-current fair value of a redeemable noncontrolling interest, net income available to IPG common stockholders (used to calculate EPS) could be negatively impacted by that increase, subject to certain limitations. The partial or full recovery of any reductions to net income available to IPG common stockholders (used to calculate EPS) is limited to any cumulative prior-period reductions. For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, there was no impact to EPS for adjustments related to our redeemable noncontrolling interests.

Pension and Postretirement Benefits

We have pension and postretirement benefit plans covering certain domestic and international employees. We use various actuarial methods and assumptions in determining our net pension and postretirement benefit costs and obligations, including the discount rate used to determine the present value of future benefits, expected long-term rate of return on plan assets and healthcare cost trend rates. The overfunded or underfunded status of our pension and postretirement benefit plans is recorded on our Consolidated Balance Sheet.

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Stock-Based Compensation

Compensation costs related to share-based transactions, including employee stock options, are recognized in the Consolidated Financial Statements based on fair value. Stock-based compensation expense is generally recognized ratably over the requisite service period based on the estimated grant-date fair value, net of estimated forfeitures.

Treasury Stock

We account for repurchased common stock under the cost method and include such treasury stock as a component of our Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity. Upon retirement, we reduce common stock for the par value of the shares being retired and the excess of the cost of the shares over par value as a reduction to additional paid-in capital ("APIC"), to the extent there is APIC in the same class of stock, and any remaining amount to retained earnings. These retired shares remain authorized but unissued.

In November 2014, we retired 121.9 shares of our treasury stock, which resulted in a reduction in common stock of $12.2, treasury stock of $1,522.4 and APIC of $1,510.2. There was no effect on total stockholders' equity as a result of the retirement.

Note 2: Debt and Credit Arrangements

Long-Term Debt

A summary of the carrying amounts and fair values of our long-term debt is listed below.



	Effective Interest Rate		December 31,
			2014				2013
			Book Value		Fair Value ¹		Book Value		Fair Value
6.25% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2014	6.29	%	$	0.0	$	0.0	$	351.3	$	365.6
2.25% Senior Notes due 2017 (less unamortized discount of $0.4)	2.30	%	299.6		301.2		299.4		293.0
4.00% Senior Notes due 2022 (less unamortized discount of $2.3)	4.13	%	247.7		255.2		247.4		241.6
3.75% Senior Notes due 2023 (less unamortized discount of $1.2)	4.32	%	498.8		499.8		498.6		467.3
4.20% Senior Notes due 2024 (less unamortized discount of $0.9)	4.24	%	499.1		509.8		0.0		0.0
Other notes payable and capitalized leases			80.4		80.4		86.7		87.8
Total long-term debt			1,625.6				1,483.4
Less: current portion ²			2.1				353.6
Long-term debt, excluding current portion			$	1,623.5			$	1,129.8


1	See Note 11 for information on the fair value measurement of our long-term debt.


2	We included our 6.25% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2014 (the "6.25% Notes") in the current portion of long-debt on our December 31, 2013 Consolidated Balance Sheet because the 6.25% Notes were scheduled to mature on November 15, 2014. We redeemed the 6.25% Notes prior to their scheduled maturity during the second quarter of 2014.

Annual maturities are scheduled as follows based on the book value as of December 31, 2014.



2015	$	2.1
2016	2.2
2017	324.2
2018	2.0
2019	2.0
Thereafter	1,293.1
Total long-term debt	$	1,625.6

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

For those debt securities that have a premium or discount at the time of issuance, we amortize the amount through interest expense based on the maturity date or the first date the holders may require us to repurchase the debt securities, if applicable. A premium would result in a decrease in interest expense and a discount would result in an increase in interest expense in future periods. We also have recorded debt issuance costs related to certain financing transactions in other assets in our Consolidated Balance Sheets, which are also amortized through interest expense. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, we had unamortized debt issuance costs of $16.6 and $15.4, respectively.

Our debt securities include covenants that, among other things, limit our liens and the liens of certain of our consolidated subsidiaries, but do not require us to maintain any financial ratios or specified levels of net worth or liquidity.

Debt Transactions

6.25% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2014

In May 2014, we redeemed all $350.0 in aggregate principal amount of the 6.25% Notes. Total cash paid to redeem the 6.25% Notes was $371.2, which included accrued and unpaid interest of $10.3. In connection with the redemption of the 6.25% Notes, we recognized a loss on early extinguishment of debt of $10.4 which was primarily due to a redemption premium. The loss on early extinguishment of debt was recorded in other expense, net within our Consolidated Statement of Operations.

4.20% Senior Notes due 2024

In April 2014, we issued $500.0 in aggregate principal amount of the 4.20% Senior Notes due 2024 (the "4.20% Notes") at a discount to par. As a result, the 4.20% Notes were reflected on our Consolidated Balance Sheets at a fair value of $499.1 at issuance. The discount of $0.9 and capitalized direct fees, including commissions and offering expenses of $4.4, will be amortized in interest expense through the maturity date of April 15, 2024, using the effective interest method. The net proceeds were $494.7 after deducting discounts, commissions and offering expenses. Interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on April 15th and October 15th of each year, commencing on October 15, 2014. Consistent with our other debt securities, the 4.20% Notes include covenants that, among other things, limit our liens and the liens of certain of our consolidated subsidiaries, but do not require us to maintain any financial ratios or specified levels of net worth or liquidity.

We used the majority of the net proceeds of the 4.20% Notes toward the redemption of our 6.25% Notes as described above.

At any time prior to April 15, 2024, at our option, we may redeem all or some of the 4.20% Notes at the greater of 100% of the principal amount or a "make-whole" amount, plus, in either instance, accrued and unpaid interest to the date of redemption. If we experience a change of control event, combined with a specified downgrade in the credit rating, we must offer to repurchase the 4.20% Notes in cash at a price equal to not less than 101% of the aggregate principal amount of the 4.20% Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of repurchase.

10.00% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2017

In July 2013, we redeemed all $600.0 in aggregate principal amount of the 10.00% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2017 (the "10.00% Notes"). Total cash paid to redeem the 10.00% Notes was $630.0. In connection with the redemption of the 10.00% Notes, we recognized a loss on early extinguishment of debt of $45.2, which included a redemption premium of $30.0, the write-off of the remaining unamortized discount of $7.3 and unamortized debt issuance costs of $7.9. The loss on early extinguishment of debt was recorded in other (expense) income, net within our Consolidated Statement of Operations.

4.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2023

In March 2013, we retired all $200.0 in aggregate principal amount of our 4.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2023 (the 4.75% Notes"). Of the amount retired, $199.997 in aggregate principal amount of the 4.75% Notes was converted, at the election of the holders, into Interpublic common stock at a conversion rate of 84.3402 shares (actual number) per $1,000 (actual number) principal amount, or approximately 16.9 shares. In connection with the retirement, we exercised our capped call options and elected net share settlement. We received a total of 1.5 settlement shares from the option counterparties as a result of exercising these options.

Credit Agreements

We maintain a committed corporate credit facility and uncommitted credit facilities with various banks that permit borrowings at variable interest rates. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, there were no borrowings under our committed corporate credit facility. However, there were borrowings under some of the uncommitted facilities to manage working capital needs. We have guaranteed the repayment of some of these borrowings made by certain subsidiaries. If we lose access to these credit lines, we would have to provide funding directly to some of our international operations. The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding balances under the uncommitted credit facilities as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 was approximately 4.5%.

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

A summary of our credit facilities is presented below.



	December 31,
	2014								2013
	Total Facility		Amount Outstanding		Letters of Credit		Total Available		Total Facility		Amount Outstanding		Letters of Credit		Total Available
Committed credit agreement	$	1,000.0	$	0.0	$	16.0	$	984.0	$	1,000.0	$	0.0	$	14.3	$	985.7
Uncommitted credit agreements	$	740.3	$	107.2	$	3.9	$	629.2	$	700.2	$	179.1	$	4.2	$	516.9

The Credit Agreement is a revolving facility, expiring in December 2018 (the "Credit Agreement"), under which amounts borrowed by us or any of our subsidiaries designated under the Credit Agreement may be repaid and reborrowed, subject to an aggregate lending limit of $1,000.0 or the equivalent in other currencies. The Company has the ability to increase the commitments under the Credit Agreement from time to time by an additional amount of up to $250.0, provided the Company receives commitments for such increases and satisfies certain other conditions. The aggregate available amount of letters of credit outstanding may decrease or increase, subject to a sublimit on letters of credit of $200.0 or the equivalent in other currencies. Our obligations under the Credit Agreement are unsecured.

We were in compliance with all of our covenants in the Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2014. The financial covenants in the Credit Agreement require that we maintain the following financial covenants listed below as of December 31, 2014 and thereafter.



Interest coverage ratio (not less than): ¹		5.00x
Leverage ratio (not greater than): ²		3.25x


1	The interest coverage ratio is defined as EBITDA, as defined in the Credit Agreement, to net interest expense.


2	The leverage ratio is defined as debt as of the last day of such fiscal quarter to EBITDA, as defined in the Credit Agreement, for the four quarters then ended.

Cash Pooling

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Note 3: Earnings Per Share

The following sets forth basic and diluted earnings per common share available to IPG common stockholders.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Net income available to IPG common stockholders - basic	$	477.1	$	259.2	$	435.1
Adjustments: Effect of dilutive securities
Interest on 4.25% Notes ¹	0.0		0.0		0.3
Interest on 4.75% Notes ¹	0.0		0.8		4.1
Dividends on preferred stock	0.0		0.0		11.6
Net income available to IPG common stockholders - diluted	$	477.1	$	260.0	$	451.1


Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding - basic	419.2		421.1		432.5
Add: Effect of dilutive securities
Restricted stock, stock options and other equity awards	6.2		5.2		7.2
4.25% Notes ¹	0.0		0.0		7.9
4.75% Notes ¹	0.0		3.3		16.9
Preferred stock outstanding ²	0.0		0.0		16.9

Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding - diluted	425.4		429.6		481.4


Earnings per share available to IPG common stockholders - basic	$	1.14	$	0.62	$	1.01
Earnings per share available to IPG common stockholders - diluted	$	1.12	$	0.61	$	0.94


1	We retired all of our outstanding 4.75% Notes and 4.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2023 in March 2013 and March 2012, respectively. See Note 2 for further information. For purposes of calculating diluted earnings per share for 2013 and 2012, the potentially dilutive shares are pro-rated based on the period they were outstanding.


2	We converted all of our 5 1/4% Series B Cumulative Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock (the "Series B Preferred Stock") into common stock in October 2013. For purposes of calculating diluted earnings per share for 2013, the potentially dilutive shares would have been pro-rated based on the period they were outstanding but were antidilutive.

The following table presents the potential shares excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation because the effect of including these potential shares would be antidilutive.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014	2013	2012
Preferred Stock Outstanding ¹	0.0	13.7	0.0
Securities excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation because the exercise price was greater than the average market price:
Stock options ²	0.0	0.1	6.6


1	We converted all of our Series B Preferred Stock into common stock in October 2013. For purposes of calculating diluted earnings per share for 2013, the potentially dilutive shares would have been pro-rated based on the period they were outstanding but were antidilutive.


2	These options were outstanding at the end of the respective periods. In any period in which the exercise price is less than the average market price, these options have the potential to be dilutive, and application of the treasury stock method would reduce this amount.

Note 4: Acquisitions

We continue to evaluate strategic opportunities to expand our industry expertise, strengthen our position in high-growth and key strategic geographical markets and industry sectors, advance technological capabilities and improve operational efficiency through both acquisitions and increased ownership interests in current investments. Our acquisitions typically provide for an initial payment at the time of closing and additional contingent purchase price payments based on the future performance of the acquired entity. We have entered into agreements that may require us to purchase additional equity interests in certain consolidated and unconsolidated subsidiaries. The amounts at which we record these transactions in our financial statements are based on estimates

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

of the future financial performance of the acquired entity, the timing of the exercise of these rights, changes in foreign currency exchange rates and other factors.

For companies acquired, we estimate the fair values of the assets and liabilities based on 100% of the business for consolidation. The purchase price in excess of the estimated fair value of the tangible net assets acquired is allocated to identifiable intangible assets and then to goodwill. Due to the characteristics of advertising, specialized marketing and communication services companies, our acquisitions typically do not have significant amounts of tangible assets since the principal assets we acquire are client relationships and talent. As a result, a substantial portion of the purchase price is primarily allocated to customer lists, trade names and goodwill.

For acquisitions we record deferred payment and redeemable noncontrolling interest amounts on our Consolidated Balance Sheets based on their acquisition-date fair value. Deferred payments are recorded on a discounted basis and adjusted quarterly, if necessary, through operating income or net interest expense, depending on the nature of the arrangement, for both changes in estimate and accretion between the acquisition date and the final payment date. See Note 14 for further information on contingent acquisition obligations. Redeemable noncontrolling interests are adjusted quarterly to their estimated redemption value, but not less than their initial fair value. Any adjustments to the redemption value impacts retained earnings or additional paid-in capital, except for foreign currency translation adjustments. The following table presents changes in our redeemable noncontrolling interests.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Balance at beginning of period	$	249.1		$	227.2		$	243.4
Change in related noncontrolling interest balance	3.2			4.6			1.1
Changes in redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interests:
Additions	18.7			16.2			0.0
Redemptions and reclassifications	(7.9		)	(2.3		)	(14.2		)
Redemption value adjustments	(5.7		)	3.4			(3.1		)
Balance at end of period	$	257.4		$	249.1		$	227.2

For all acquisitions, if a portion of the deferred payments and purchases of additional interests after the effective date of purchase are contingent upon employment terms, then that amount is accounted separately from the business combination and recognized as compensation expense over the required earn-out period. Payments deemed as compensation are excluded from the fair value purchase price allocation to tangible net assets and intangible assets acquired.

During 2014, we completed eight acquisitions, six of which were included in the Integrated Agency Networks ("IAN") operating segment and two of which were included in the Constituency Management Group ("CMG") operating segment. All acquired agencies have been integrated into one of our global networks or existing agencies. The most significant acquisitions included a global full-service digital agency, a digital agency in the United States and a search marketing agency in the Netherlands. During 2014, we recorded approximately $185.0 of goodwill and intangible assets related to our acquisitions.

During 2013, we completed eleven acquisitions, nine of which were included in the IAN operating segment and two of which were included in the CMG operating segment. All acquired agencies have been integrated into one of our global networks or existing agencies. The most significant acquisitions included a full service digital agency in India, a full service agency in the U.K. and a public relations consultancy in India. During 2013, we recorded approximately $97.0 of goodwill and intangible assets related to these acquisitions.

During 2012, we completed twelve acquisitions, eight of which were included in the IAN operating segment and four of which were included in the CMG operating segment. All acquired agencies have been integrated into one of our global networks or existing agencies. The most significant acquisitions included a healthcare market research and consulting agency and a search marketing agency in the United Kingdom, and a digital healthcare-marketing specialist and a designer of in-store shopping experiences in the United States. During 2012, we recorded approximately $201.0 of goodwill and intangible assets related to these acquisitions.

The results of operations of our acquired companies were included in our consolidated results from the closing date of each acquisition. We did not make any payments in stock related to our acquisitions in 2014, 2013 or 2012.

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Details of cash paid for current and prior years' acquisitions are listed below.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Cost of investment: current-year acquisitions	$	97.3		$	67.7		$	156.8
Cost of investment: prior-year acquisitions	14.0			28.5			40.6
Less: net cash acquired	(29.9		)	(7.1		)	(14.8		)
Total cost of investment	81.4			89.1			182.6
Operating expense¹	3.4			2.0			3.2

Total cash paid for acquisitions ²	$	84.8		$	91.1		$	185.8


1	Represents cash payments made that were either in excess of the contractual value or contingent upon the future employment of the former owners of acquired companies.

Of the total cash paid, $13.6, $27.6 and $37.1 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, are classified under the financing section of the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows within acquisition-related payments. These amounts relate to increases in our ownership interests in our consolidated subsidiaries as well as deferred payments for acquisitions. Of the total cash paid, $67.8, $61.5 and $145.5 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, are classified under the investing section of the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows within acquisitions, net of cash acquired. These amounts relate to initial payments for new transactions.

Note 5: Supplementary Data

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts – Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts Receivable



	Years ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Balance at beginning of period	$	64.9		$	59.0		$	55.4
Charges to costs and expenses	7.4			12.6			16.3
Reversals to other accounts¹	0.1			0.7			(0.2		)
Deductions:
Dispositions	0.0			0.0			(0.4		)
Uncollectible accounts written off	(8.1		)	(7.2		)	(12.6		)
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(4.8		)	(0.2		)	0.5
Balance at end of period	$	59.5		$	64.9		$	59.0


1	Amounts primarily relate to miscellaneous other amounts and reclassifications.

Property and Equipment



	December 31,
	2014			2013
Furniture and equipment	$	640.7		$	661.6
Leasehold improvements	594.0			611.4
Internal use computer software	296.2			269.1
Land and buildings	87.3			109.6
	1,618.2			1,651.7
Less: accumulated depreciation	(1,070.0		)	(1,111.7		)
Total property and equipment, net	548.2			$	540.0

The total depreciation and amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $132.3, $130.6 and $124.3, respectively.

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Accrued Liabilities

The following table presents the components of accrued liabilities.



	December 31,
	2014		2013
Salaries, benefits and related expenses	$	510.6	$	467.2
Office and related expenses	51.5		56.9
Acquisition obligations	88.1		12.8
Interest	18.3		16.0
Restructuring and other reorganization-related	5.5		46.7
Other	122.0		118.8
Total accrued liabilities	$	796.0	$	718.4

Other (Expense) Income, net

Results of operations include certain items that are not directly associated with our revenue-producing operations.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	$	(10.4	)	$	(45.2	)	$	0.0
Gains on sales of businesses and investments, net	0.8			1.5			88.2
Vendor discounts and credit adjustments	3.3			8.6			15.3
Other (expense) income, net	(3.9		)	2.8			(3.0		)
Total other (expense) income, net	$	(10.2	)	$	(32.3	)	$	100.5

Share Repurchase Program

In February 2012, our Board of Directors (the "Board") authorized a share repurchase program to repurchase from time to time up to $300.0, excluding fees, of our common stock (the "2012 Share Repurchase Program"). In November 2012, the Board authorized an increase in the amount available under our 2012 Share Repurchase Program up to $400.0, excluding fees, of our common stock, as a result of the sale of our remaining holdings in Facebook. In February 2013, the Board authorized a new share repurchase program to repurchase from time to time up to $300.0, excluding fees, of our common stock (the "2013 Share Repurchase Program"). In March 2013, the Board authorized an increase in the amount available under our 2013 Share Repurchase Program up to $500.0, excluding fees, of our common stock to be used towards the repurchase of shares resulting from the conversion to

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

common stock of the 4.75% Notes. In February 2014, the Board authorized a new share repurchase program to repurchase from time to time up to $300.0, excluding fees, of our common stock (the "2014 Share Repurchase Program").

The following table presents our share repurchase activity under our share repurchase programs.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Number of shares repurchased	14.9		31.8		32.7
Aggregate cost, including fees	$	275.1	$	481.8	$	350.5
Average price per share, including fees	$	18.41	$	15.17	$	10.72

We fully utilized the 2012 Share Repurchase Program as of the second quarter of 2013 and the 2013 Share Repurchase Program as of the third quarter of 2014. As of December 31, 2014, $143.6 remained available for repurchase under the 2014 Share Repurchase Program. The 2014 Share Repurchase Program has no expiration date.

Supplemental Cash Flow Information



	Years ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Cash paid for interest	$	78.1	$	110.7	$	130.6
Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds ¹	103.9		111.8		95.7


1	Refunds of $21.3, $15.0 and $23.5 were received for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Note 6: Intangible Assets

Goodwill

Goodwill is the excess purchase price remaining from an acquisition after an allocation of purchase price has been made to identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on estimated fair values. The changes in the carrying value of goodwill for our segments, IAN and CMG, for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are listed below.



	IAN			CMG			Total ¹
Balance as of December 31, 2012	$	3,074.6		$	506.0		$	3,580.6
Current year acquisitions	58.8			16.5			75.3
Foreign currency and other	(24.1		)	(2.8		)	(26.9		)
Balance as of December 31, 2013	$	3,109.3		$	519.7		$	3,629.0
Current year acquisitions	95.2			40.9			136.1
Foreign currency and other	(83.7		)	(12.2		)	(95.9		)
Balance as of December 31, 2014	$	3,120.8		$	548.4		$	3,669.2


1	For all periods presented we have not recorded a goodwill impairment charge.

See Note 1 for information regarding our annual impairment methodology.

Other Intangible Assets

Other intangible assets are comprised of both assets with indefinite lives not subject to amortization and assets with definite lives subject to amortization. Other intangible assets primarily consist of customer lists and trade names, which have definitive lives and are subject to amortization on a straight-line basis with estimated useful lives generally between 7 and 15 years. Amortization expense for other intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $29.4, $26.8 and $23.4, respectively. There were no material impairment charges on other intangibles for the years ended December 31, 2014,

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

2013 and 2012. During 2014 and 2013, we recorded approximately $48.6 and $21.5 of intangible assets related to our acquisitions in the respective year.

The following table provides a summary of other intangible assets, which are included in other assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.



	December 31,
	2014							2013
	Gross Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Net Amount		Gross Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Net Amount
Customer lists	$	255.8	$	(139.3	)	$	116.5	$	228.1	$	(119.8	)	$	108.3
Trade names	71.0		(22.8		)	48.2		64.5		(19.2		)	45.3
Other	14.1		(3.8		)	10.3		14.0		(3.8		)	10.2
Total	$	340.9	$	(165.9	)	$	175.0	$	306.6	$	(142.8	)	$	163.8

The estimated annual amortization expense for other intangible assets for the next five years as of December 31, 2014 is listed below.



	2015		2016		2017		2018		2019
Estimated amortization expense	$	37.2	$	34.7	$	22.7	$	12.8	$	12.1

Note 7: Income Taxes

The components of income before income taxes are listed below.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Domestic	$	387.7	$	255.3	$	386.9
Foreign	333.0		212.7		287.9
Total	$	720.7	$	468.0	$	674.8

The provision for income taxes is listed below.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
U.S. federal income taxes (including foreign withholding taxes):
Current	$	8.0		$	46.9		$	9.4
Deferred	130.7			25.2			118.1
	138.7			72.1			127.5
State and local income taxes:
Current	9.7			(14.7		)	17.1
Deferred	23.8			24.7			25.3
	33.5			10.0			42.4
Foreign income taxes:
Current	115.3			79.6			83.2
Deferred	(71.0		)	19.5			(39.8		)
	44.3			99.1			43.4
Total	$	216.5		$	181.2		$	213.3

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

A reconciliation of the effective income tax rate as reflected in our Consolidated Statements of Operations to the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate is listed below.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
U.S. federal statutory income tax rate	35.0		%	35.0		%	35.0		%

Income tax provision at U.S. federal statutory rate	$	252.3		$	163.8		$	236.2
	21.4			6.5			27.3
Impact of foreign operations, including withholding taxes	1.7			30.5			8.4
Change in net valuation allowance ¹	(66.0		)	3.2			(57.3		)
Worthless securities deduction	0.0			(22.2		)	0.0
Increases in unrecognized tax benefits, net	5.2			0.0			24.1
Other	1.9			(0.6		)	(25.4		)
Provision for income taxes	$	216.5		$	181.2		$	213.3
Effective income tax rate on operations	30.0		%	38.7		%	31.6		%


1	Reflects changes in valuation allowance that impacted the effective income tax rate for each year presented.

In 2014, our effective income tax rate of 30.0% was positively impacted from changes to our valuation allowances of $66.0 million. The primary drivers of the net change were associated with a valuation allowance reversal of $124.8 in one jurisdiction partially offset by the establishment of a valuation allowance of $57.2 in another jurisdiction, both in Continental Europe. In addition, our effective income tax rate was negatively impacted by losses in certain foreign jurisdictions where we receive no tax benefit due to 100% valuation allowances.

In 2013, our effective income tax rate of 38.7% was positively impacted by the recognition of previously unrecognized tax benefits as a result of the recognition of losses attributable to worthless securities in a consolidated subsidiary and the settlement of the 2002-2006 New York State audit cycle. Our effective income tax rate was negatively impacted primarily by losses in certain foreign jurisdictions where we receive no tax benefit due to 100% valuation allowances.

In 2012, our effective income tax rate of 31.6% was positively impacted by the reversals of valuation allowances associated with the Asia Pacific and Continental Europe regions, of $26.2 and $21.8, respectively, as well as by a benefit derived from the deduction of foreign tax credits that previously had a full valuation allowance. Our effective income tax rate was negatively impacted by an adjustment of $19.5 associated with the establishment of a previously unrecorded reserve for a tax contingency for the years 2007 through 2010, losses in certain foreign locations where we receive no tax benefit due to 100% valuation allowances and state and local income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit.

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

The components of deferred tax assets and liabilities are listed below.



	December 31,
	2014			2013
Postretirement/post-employment benefits	$	27.4		$	32.5
Deferred compensation	191.2			187.2
Pension costs	41.4			31.1
Basis differences in fixed assets	(38.5		)	(4.1		)
Rent	45.8			50.7
Interest	60.9			60.7
Accruals and reserves	34.8			39.6
Allowance for doubtful accounts	10.8			10.8
Basis differences in intangible assets	(412.3		)	(402.2		)
Investments in equity securities	(2.6		)	48.6
Tax loss/tax credit carry forwards	404.4			443.6
Restructuring and other reorganization-related costs	(0.3		)	2.6
Other	59.2			60.5
Total deferred tax assets, net	422.2			561.6
Valuation allowance	(332.2		)	(467.3		)
Net deferred tax assets	$	90.0		$	94.3

We evaluate the realizability of our deferred tax assets on a quarterly basis. The realization of our deferred tax assets is primarily dependent on future earnings. The amount of the deferred tax assets considered realizable could be reduced or increased in the near future if estimates of future taxable income are lower or greater than anticipated. A valuation allowance is established when it is “more likely than not” that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized. In circumstances where there is negative evidence, establishment of a valuation allowance is considered. The factors used in assessing valuation allowances include all available evidence, such as past operating results, estimates of future taxable income and the feasibility of tax planning strategies. We believe that cumulative losses in the most recent three-year period represent significant negative evidence, and as a result, we determined that certain of our deferred tax assets required the establishment of a valuation allowance. The deferred tax assets for which an allowance was recognized relate primarily to state and foreign tax loss carryforwards.

The change in the valuation allowance is listed below.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014			2013		2012
Balance at beginning of period	$	467.3		$	392.9	$	489.9
(Reversed) charged to costs and expenses	(72.8		)	65.2		(49.5		)
(Reversed) charged to gross tax assets and other accounts	(62.3		)	9.2		(47.5		)
Balance at end of period	$	332.2		$	467.3	$	392.9

In 2014, the net decrease was primarily related to a reversal of a valuation allowance for a deferred tax asset of $124.8, where we believe it is now "more likely than not" that the corresponding tax losses will be utilized over an extended period of time, based on implementing an internal financing tax action plan. This was partially offset by the establishment of a valuation allowance of $57.2, where we believe it is no longer "more likely than not" that the corresponding tax losses will be utilized, based on forecasted income not exceeding historical cumulative losses. The amounts charged to gross tax assets and other accounts relate primarily to the effect of foreign currency translation and a reduction to the valuation allowance related to the write-down of a corresponding deferred tax asset.

In 2013, amounts charged to costs and expenses primarily relate to the increase in valuation allowances in the U.S. and Continental Europe regions for existing and additional deferred tax assets. The amounts charged to gross tax assets and other accounts relate primarily to the effect of foreign currency translation.

In 2012, amounts reversed to costs and expenses primarily relate to the net reversal of valuation allowances in the Asia Pacific and Continental Europe regions, based on positive evidence in the form of a sustained pattern of profitability. Amounts reversed to gross tax assets and other accounts relate primarily to the reversal of valuation allowance on foreign tax credits.

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

As of December 31, 2014, there are $1,263.1 of loss carryforwards. These loss carryforwards are all non-U.S. tax loss carryforwards, of which $1,053.4 have unlimited carryforward periods and $209.7 have expiration periods from 2015 to 2033. As of December 31, 2014, the Company also had $60.3 in deferred tax assets for state net operating loss carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards, which will expire between 2015 and 2034.

As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, we had $2,214.2 and $1,959.8, respectively, of undistributed earnings attributable to foreign subsidiaries. It is our intention to permanently reinvest undistributed earnings of our foreign subsidiaries. We have not provided deferred U.S. income taxes or foreign withholding taxes on temporary differences resulting from earnings for certain foreign subsidiaries which are permanently reinvested outside the U.S. It is not practicable to determine the amount of unrecognized deferred tax liability associated with these temporary differences.

The table below summarizes the activity related to our unrecognized tax benefits.



	December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Balance at beginning of period	$	219.2		$	194.6		$	161.0
Increases as a result of tax positions taken during a prior year	29.0			8.3			28.2
Decreases as a result of tax positions taken during a prior year	(16.3		)	(1.9		)	(6.8		)
Settlements with taxing authorities	(1.1		)	(34.9		)	(0.7		)
Lapse of statutes of limitation	(4.1		)	(10.6		)	(1.1		)
Increases as a result of tax positions taken during the current year	11.3			63.7			14.0
Balance at end of period	$	238.0		$	219.2		$	194.6

Included in the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits of $238.0 as of December 31, 2014, is $213.5 of tax benefits that, if recognized, would impact the effective income tax rate. The total amount of accrued interest and penalties as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 is $15.3 and $11.9, respectively, of which a detriment of $5.4 and $2.8 is included in our 2014 and 2013 Consolidated Statements of Operations, respectively. In accordance with our accounting policy, interest and penalties accrued on unrecognized tax benefits are classified as income taxes in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

In 2013, we settled the 2002-2006 NYS audit cycle. The settlement resulted in a minor cash payment and our effective income tax rate was positively impacted by the recognition of previously unrecognized tax benefits.

We have various tax years under examination by tax authorities in the U.S., in various countries, and in various states, such as New York, in which we have significant business operations. It is not yet known whether these examinations will, in the aggregate, result in our paying additional taxes. We believe our tax reserves are adequate in relation to the potential for additional assessments in each of the jurisdictions in which we are subject to taxation. We regularly assess the likelihood of additional tax assessments in those jurisdictions and, if necessary, adjust our reserves as additional information or events require.

With respect to all tax years open to examination by U.S. federal, various state and local, and non-U.S. tax authorities, we currently anticipate that total unrecognized tax benefits will decrease by an amount between $25.0 and $35.0 in the next twelve months, a portion of which will affect our effective income tax rate, primarily as a result of the settlement of tax examinations and the lapsing of statutes of limitations. This net decrease is related to various items of income and expense, primarily transfer pricing adjustments.

We are effectively settled with respect to U.S. income tax audits for years prior to 2009. With limited exceptions, we are no longer subject to state and local income tax audits for years prior to 2004, or non-U.S. income tax audits for years prior to 2006.

Note 8: Restructuring and Other Reorganization-Related Charges (Reversals), net

The components of restructuring and other reorganization-related charges (reversals), net are listed below.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Severance and termination costs	$	0.1	$	55.9	$	0.0
Lease termination costs	0.1		4.2		(1.1		)
Other exit costs	0.0		0.5		(0.1		)
Total restructuring and other reorganization-related charges (reversals), net	$	0.2	$	60.6	$	(1.2	)

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

2013 Restructuring Plan

In the fourth quarter of 2013, we implemented a cost savings initiative (the "2013 Plan") to better align our cost structure with our revenue, primarily in Continental Europe. In connection with this initiative, we identified and initiated restructuring actions resulting in pre-tax charges in 2013 of $61.2 related to the 2013 Plan, comprised of severance and termination costs of $55.9, lease termination costs of $4.8, and other exit costs of $0.5. In 2014, we recorded an additional $0.1 of net restructuring charges related to the 2013 Plan. All restructuring actions were substantially completed by the end of the first quarter of 2014, with remaining payments expected to be made through 2021.

A summary of the 2013 Plan restructuring liability activity is listed below.



	December 31, 2013		Net Restructuring Charges		Cash Payments			Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment			December 31, 2014
Severance and termination costs	$	46.5	$	0.1	$	(41.8	)	$	(0.4	)	$	4.4
Lease termination costs	3.9		0.0		(1.2		)	(0.1		)	2.6
Other exit costs	0.5		0.0		(0.5		)	0.0			0.0
Total	$	50.9	$	0.1	$	(43.5	)	$	(0.5	)	$	7.0

Net restructuring charges related to the 2013 Plan for the year ended December 31, 2014 were comprised of net charges of approximately $0.3 at IAN and net reversals of approximately $0.2 at CMG.

Prior Restructuring Plans

Note 9: Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, Net of Tax

The following table presents the changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax by component.



	Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments			Available-for-Sale Securities			Derivative Instruments			Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans			Total
Balance as of December 31, 2012	$	(130.1	)	$	0.8		$	(12.7	)	$	(146.0	)	$	(288.0	)
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications	(113.0		)	0.8			0.0			(19.7		)	(131.9		)
Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(0.6		)	(1.2		)	1.0			9.5			8.7
Balance as of December 31, 2013	$	(243.7	)	$	0.4		$	(11.7	)	$	(156.2	)	$	(411.2	)
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications	(191.7		)	0.7			(0.6		)	(55.0		)	(246.6		)
Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(0.9		)	(0.3		)	1.4			20.9			21.1
Balance as of December 31, 2014	$	(436.3	)	$	0.8		$	(10.9	)	$	(190.3	)	$	(636.7	)

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:



	Years ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012		Affected Line Item in the Consolidated Statements of Operations
Foreign currency translation adjustments	$	(0.9	)	$	0.0		$	0.0	Other (expense) income, net
Gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities	0.0			(1.4		)	0.7		Other (expense) income, net
Losses on derivative instruments	1.9			1.7			0.3		Interest expense
Amortization of defined benefit pension and postretirement plans items ¹	10.5			10.8			8.4
Tax effect	9.6			(2.4		)	10.3		Provision for income taxes
Total amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax	$	21.1		$	8.7		$	19.7


1	These accumulated other comprehensive loss components are included in the computation of net periodic cost. See Note 12 for further information

Note 10: Incentive Compensation Plans

2014 Performance Incentive Plan

We issue stock-based compensation and cash awards to our employees under a plan established by the Compensation and Leadership Talent Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”) and approved by our shareholders. In May 2014, our shareholders approved the 2014 Performance Incentive Plan (the “2014 PIP”), replacing the 2009 Performance Incentive Plan (the “2009 PIP”) and previous incentive plans. The number of shares of common stock initially available for grants of all equity awards under the 2014 PIP is 28.8. Pursuant to the terms of the 2014 PIP, the number of shares that may be awarded to any one participant for each type of award is limited to 2.0. The vesting period of awards granted is generally commensurate with the requisite service period. We generally issue new shares to satisfy the exercise of stock options or the distribution of other stock-based awards.

Additionally, under the 2014 PIP, we have the ability to issue performance cash awards. The performance cash awards are granted to certain employees who otherwise would have been eligible to receive performance-based stock awards. These awards have a service period vesting condition and a performance vesting condition. The amount of the performance cash award received by an employee with a performance vesting condition can range from 0% to 300% of the target amount of the original grant value. Performance cash awards generally vest in three years. A committee of the Board of Directors may grant performance cash awards to any eligible employee; however, no employee can receive more than $10.0 during a performance period.

The amount of stock-based compensation expense as reflected in salaries and related expenses in our Consolidated Statement of Operations, and the related tax benefit, are listed below.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Stock options	$	2.1	$	3.7	$	5.4
Stock-settled awards	10.0		9.8		14.9
Cash-settled awards	0.6		1.5		3.9
Performance-based awards	42.2		29.6		24.5
Employee stock purchase plan	0.6		0.6		0.6
Other ¹	1.2		0.8		1.1
Stock-based compensation expense	$	56.7	$	46.0	$	50.4
Tax benefit	$	20.6	$	17.6	$	19.7


1	Represents charges recorded for severance expense related to stock-based compensation awards.

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Stock Options

Stock options are granted with the exercise price equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the grant date. They are generally exercisable between two and four years from the grant date and expire ten years from the grant date (or earlier in the case of certain terminations of employment).

The following tables are a summary of stock option activity during 2014.



	Options		Weighted- Average Exercise Price (per option)		Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term (in years)	Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Stock options outstanding as of January 1, 2014	9.4		$10.24
Exercised	(1.7	)	12.01
Expired	(0.3	)	14.16
Stock options outstanding as of December 31, 2014	7.4		9.70		4.1	$	82.1
Stock options vested and expected to vest as of December 31, 2014	7.4		9.69		4.1	$	82.0
Stock options exercisable as of December 31, 2014	6.8		9.44		3.7	$	76.7

	Options		Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value (per option)		Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term (in years)	Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Non-vested as of January 1, 2014	1.5		$	4.21
Vested	(0.9	)	4.25
Non-vested as of December 31, 2014	0.6		4.16		7.9	$	3.8

There were 1.7, 5.2 and 1.2 stock options exercised in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The total intrinsic value of stock options exercised during 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $10.7, $26.2 and $2.0, respectively. The cash received from the stock options exercised in 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $25.2, $59.5 and $11.7, respectively. As of December 31, 2014, there was $1.2 of total unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested stock options granted, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 0.9 years.

We use the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to estimate the fair value of options granted, which requires the input of subjective assumptions including the option’s expected term and the price volatility of the underlying stock. Changes in the assumptions can materially affect the estimate of fair value and our results of operations could be materially impacted. There were no stock options granted during the year ended December 31, 2014. The weighted-average grant-date fair value per option during the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 was $4.14 and $4.24, respectively.

The fair value of each option grant has been estimated with the following weighted-average assumptions.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014	2013		2012
Expected volatility ¹	—	40.2	%	43.8	%
Expected term (years) ²	—	6.9		6.8
Risk free interest rate ³	—	1.3	%	1.3	%
Expected dividend yield ⁴	—	2.4	%	2.1	%


1	The expected volatility used to estimate the fair value of stock options awarded is based on a blend of: (i) historical volatility of our common stock for periods equal to the expected term of our stock options and (ii) implied volatility of tradable forward put and call options to purchase and sell shares of our common stock.

The estimate of our expected term is based on the average of (i) an assumption that all outstanding options are exercised upon achieving their full vesting date and (ii) an assumption that all outstanding options will be exercised at the midpoint between the current date (i.e., the date awards have ratably vested through) and their full contractual term. In determining the estimate, we considered several factors, including the historical option exercise behavior of our employees and the terms and vesting periods of the options.


3	The risk free rate is determined using the implied yield currently available for zero-coupon U.S. government issuers with a remaining term equal to the expected term of the options.


4	The expected dividend yield is calculated based on an annualized dividend of $0.38 per share in 2014, $0.30 per share in 2013 and $0.24 per share in 2012.

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Stock-Based Compensation

We grant other stock-based compensation awards such as stock-settled awards, cash-settled awards and performance-based awards (settled in cash or shares) to certain key employees. The number of shares or units received by an employee for performance-based awards depends on Company performance against specific performance targets and could range from 0% to 300% of the target amount of shares originally granted. Incentive awards are subject to certain restrictions and vesting requirements as determined by the Compensation Committee. The fair value of the shares on the grant date is amortized over the vesting period, which is generally three years. Upon completion of the vesting period for cash-settled awards, the grantee is entitled to receive a payment in cash based on the fair market value of the corresponding number of shares of common stock. No monetary consideration is paid by a recipient for any incentive award. The fair value of cash-settled awards is adjusted each quarter based on our share price. The holders of stock-settled awards have absolute ownership interest in the underlying shares of common stock prior to vesting, which includes the right to vote and receive dividends. Dividends declared on common stock are accrued during the vesting period and paid when the award vests. The holders of cash-settled and performance-based awards have no ownership interest in the underlying shares of common stock until the awards vest and the shares of common stock are issued.

Stock-based compensation awards expected to be settled in cash have been classified as liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Stock-Settled Awards:
Awards granted	1.2		1.1		0.9
Weighted-average grant-date fair value (per award)	$	17.77	$	13.51	$	11.43
Total fair value of vested awards distributed	$	12.6	$	35.4	$	63.5
Cash-Settled Awards:
Awards granted	0.1		0.1		0.1
Weighted-average grant-date fair value (per award)	$	18.20	$	16.35	$	10.94
Total fair value of vested awards distributed	$	0.6	$	5.4	$	11.1
Performance-Based Awards:
Awards granted	3.5		1.5		1.8
Weighted-average grant-date fair value (per award)	$	16.56	$	11.97	$	10.61
Total fair value of vested awards distributed	$	15.3	$	0.2	$	11.5

In conjunction with common stock dividends declared in 2014 and 2013, we accrued dividends of $0.8 and $0.7, respectively, on non-vested stock-settled awards and paid $0.5 and $1.5 for stock-settled awards that vested during 2014 and 2013, respectively.

A summary of the activity of our non-vested stock-settled awards, cash-settled awards, and performance-based awards during 2014 is presented below (performance-based awards are shown at 100% of the shares originally granted).



	Stock-Settled Awards					Cash-Settled Awards					Performance-Based Awards
	Awards			Weighted- Average Grant-Date Fair Value (per award)		Awards			Weighted- Average Grant-Date Fair Value (per award)		Awards			Weighted- Average Grant-Date Fair Value (per award)
Non-vested as of January 1, 2014	1.9			$	12.54	0.1			$	12.03	4.1			$	11.71
Granted	1.2			17.77		0.1			18.20		3.5			16.56
Vested	(0.8		)	12.15		(0.1		)	8.36		(0.9		)	12.24
Forfeited	(0.1		)	12.53		0.0			0.00		(0.9		)	12.76
Non-vested as of December 31, 2014	2.2			15.47		0.1			16.99		5.8			14.39
Total unrecognized compensation expense remaining	$	14.3				$	1.4				$	58.1
Weighted-average years expected to be recognized over	1.6					2.0					2.0

During 2014, 2013 and 2012, additional performance cash awards with a total target value of $2.9, $35.6 and $33.6, respectively, were awarded under the 2014 PIP and 2009 PIP and will be settled in shares upon vesting, which is three years from the grant date. The total fair value of the vested awards distributed during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 was $19.8 and

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

$17.4, respectively. As of December 31, 2014, there was $13.1 of total unrecognized compensation expense related to these awards, which is expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted-average period of 1.1 years.

In conjunction with our annual grant of long-term incentive compensation awards, we reviewed our estimates and assumptions in 2014, which resulted in an increase to our estimated forfeiture rate, as our review of our actual forfeitures indicated a higher level of forfeitures than previously assumed.

2009 Restricted Cash Plan

In March 2009, the Compensation Committee approved the Interpublic Restricted Cash Plan (the “Cash Plan”). Under the Cash Plan, the Board, the Compensation Committee or the Plan Administrator may grant cash awards to certain employees eligible to receive stock-settled and cash-settled awards. Cash awards, when granted, have a service period vesting condition and generally vest in three years.

Cash Awards

During the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Compensation Committee granted cash awards under the Cash Plan with a total target value of $5.8, $4.6 and $2.7, respectively, and we recognized $3.1, $4.0 and $10.9, respectively, in salaries and related expenses in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

During the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Compensation Committee granted performance awards to be settled in cash under the 2014 PIP and 2009 PIP with a total target value of $33.0, $47.4, and $37.4, respectively, and we recognized $27.3, $18.3 and $18.9, respectively, in salaries and related expenses in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

We amortize the present value of the amount expected to vest for cash awards and performance cash awards over the vesting period using the straight-line method, less an assumed forfeiture rate. Cash awards do not fall within the scope of the authoritative guidance for stock compensation as they are not paid in equity and the value of the award is not correlated with our stock price. Due to the cash nature of the payouts and the vesting period, we account for these awards in accordance with authoritative guidance for deferred compensation arrangements.

Employee Stock Purchase Plans

The Interpublic Group of Companies Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP Plan”) became active April 1, 2007. Under the ESPP Plan, eligible employees may purchase our common stock through payroll deductions not exceeding 10% of their eligible compensation or 900 (actual number) shares each offering period. The price an employee pays for a share of common stock under the ESPP Plan is 90% of the lesser of the average market price of a share on the first business day of the offering period or the average market price of a share on the last business day of the offering period of three months. An aggregate of 15.0 shares are reserved for issuance under the ESPP Plan, of which 2.8 shares have been issued through December 31, 2014.

Note 11: Fair Value Measurements

Authoritative guidance for fair value measurements establishes a fair value hierarchy which requires us to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. There are three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:



Level 1		Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. An active market for the asset or liability is a market in which transactions for the asset or liability occur with sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis.

Level 2		Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

Level 3		Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

Financial Instruments that are Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

We primarily apply the market approach to determine the fair value of financial instruments that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis. There were no changes to our valuation techniques used to determine the fair value of financial instruments during 2014 as compared to the prior year.

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

The following tables present information about our financial instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques utilized to determine such fair value.



	December 31, 2014												Balance Sheet Classification
	Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total			Balance Sheet Classification
Assets
Cash equivalents	$	901.4		$	0.0		$	0.0		$	901.4		Cash and cash equivalents
Short-term marketable securities	6.6			0.0			0.0			6.6			Marketable securities
Long-term investments	0.5			0.0			0.0			0.5			Other assets
Total	$	908.5		$	0.0		$	0.0		$	908.5

As a percentage of total assets	7.1		%	0.0		%	0.0		%	7.1		%

Liabilities
Mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling interests ¹	$	0.0		$	0.0		$	32.8		$	32.8

	December 31, 2013												Balance Sheet Classification
	Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total			Balance Sheet Classification
Assets
Cash equivalents	$	761.2		$	0.0		$	0.0		$	761.2		Cash and cash equivalents
Short-term marketable securities	5.3			0.0			0.0			5.3			Marketable securities
Long-term investments	1.6			0.0			0.0			1.6			Other assets
Total	$	768.1		$	0.0		$	0.0		$	768.1

As a percentage of total assets	6.0		%	0.0		%	0.0		%	6.0		%

Liabilities
Mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling interests ¹	$	0.0		$	0.0		$	27.0		$	27.0

Relates to unconditional obligations to purchase additional noncontrolling equity shares of consolidated subsidiaries. Fair value measurement of the obligation was based upon the amount payable as if the forward contracts were settled. The amount redeemable within the next twelve months is classified in accrued liabilities; any interests redeemable thereafter are classified in other non-current liabilities.

The following table presents additional information about financial instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis and for which we utilize Level 3 inputs to determine fair value.



	Years ended December 31,
Liabilities	2014			2013
Mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling interests - Balance at beginning of period	$	27.0		$	25.3
Level 3 additions	5.6			0.2
Level 3 reductions	(0.8		)	0.0
Realized losses included in net income	1.0			1.5
Foreign currency translation	0.0			0.0
Mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling interests - Balance at end of period	$	32.8		$	27.0

Level 3 reductions primarily consist of cash payments made related to unconditional obligations to purchase additional equity interests in previous acquisitions, which are classified within the financing section of our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Level 3 additions relate to new unconditional obligations to purchase additional equity interests in previous acquisitions for cash in future periods. Realized losses included in net income for mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling interests are reported as a component of interest expense in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Gross unrealized and realized gains and losses for our long-term investments and short-term marketable securities were not material for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

Financial Instruments that are not Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

The following table presents information about our financial instruments that are not measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2014, and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques utilized to determine such fair value.



	December 31, 2014
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3	Total
Total long-term debt	$	0.0	$	1,566.0	80.4	$	1,646.4

Our long-term debt is comprised of senior notes and other notes payable. The fair value of our senior notes traded over-the-counter is based on quoted prices for such securities, but which fair value can also be derived from inputs that are readily observable. Therefore, these senior notes are classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. Our other notes payable are not actively traded and their fair value is not solely derived from readily observable inputs. Thus, the fair value of our other notes payable is determined based on a discounted cash flow model and other proprietary valuation methods, and therefore is classified as Level 3 within the fair value hierarchy. See Note 2 for further information on our long-term debt.

Non-financial Instruments that are Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

Certain non-financial instruments are measured at fair value on a recurring basis, primarily accrued restructuring charges. Accrued restructuring charges were $8.1 and $52.2 for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. These charges were valued using our internal estimates based upon a discounted cash flow model and are classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

Non-financial Instruments that are Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis

Certain non-financial instruments are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis, primarily goodwill, intangible assets, and property and equipment. Accordingly, these assets are not measured and adjusted to fair value on an ongoing basis but are subject to periodic evaluations for potential impairment.

Note 12: Employee Benefits

Pension and Postretirement Benefit Plans

We have a defined benefit pension plan (the “Domestic Pension Plan”) that consists of approximately 4,000 participants and has been closed to new participants. We also have numerous funded and unfunded plans outside the U.S. The Interpublic Limited Pension Plan in the U.K. is a defined benefit plan and is our most material foreign pension plan in terms of the benefit obligation and plan assets. Some of our domestic and foreign subsidiaries provide postretirement health benefits and life insurance to eligible employees and, in certain cases, their dependents. The domestic postretirement benefit plan is our most material postretirement benefit plan in terms of the benefit obligation. This plan consists of approximately 2,200 participants, is closed to new participants and is unfunded.

Differences between the aggregate income statement and balance sheet amounts listed in the tables below and the totals reported in our Consolidated Statements of Operations, Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income and Consolidated Balance Sheets relate to non-material foreign pension and postretirement benefit plans.

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Pension and Postretirement Benefit Obligation

The change in the benefit obligation, the change in plan assets, the funded status and amounts recognized for the domestic pension plan, the significant foreign pension plans and the domestic postretirement benefit plan are listed below.



	Domestic Pension Plan						Foreign Pension Plans						Domestic Postretirement Benefit Plan
	Domestic Pension Plan						Foreign Pension Plans						Domestic Postretirement Benefit Plan
December 31,	2014			2013			2014			2013			2014			2013
Benefit Obligation
Projected benefit obligation as of January 1	$	133.1		$	140.6		$	569.9		$	532.4		$	37.9		$	46.6
Service cost	0.0			0.0			10.3			9.9			0.1			0.1
Interest cost	6.2			5.5			23.4			21.7			1.7			1.6
Benefits paid	(10.4		)	(10.4		)	(24.1		)	(23.8		)	(5.6		)	(6.4		)
Plan participant contributions	0.0			0.0			0.6			0.5			1.5			1.7
Actuarial losses (gains)	18.0			(2.6		)	55.7			25.0			4.4			(5.7		)
Settlements and curtailments	0.0			0.0			(4.0		)	(3.1		)	0.0			0.0
Foreign currency effect	0.0			0.0			(42.8		)	8.1			0.0			0.0
Other	0.0			0.0			0.5			(0.8		)	(0.5		)	0.0

Projected benefit obligation as of December 31	$	146.9		$	133.1		$	589.5		$	569.9		$	39.5		$	37.9

Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets as of January 1	$	109.6		$	115.7		$	398.5		$	381.7		$	0.0		$	0.0
Actual return on plan assets	9.6			3.8			44.7			19.5			0.0			0.0
Employer contributions	2.7			0.5			25.7			18.3			4.1			4.7
Plan participant contributions	0.0			0.0			0.6			0.5			1.5			1.7
Benefits paid	(10.4		)	(10.4		)	(24.1		)	(23.8		)	(5.6		)	(6.4		)
Settlements	0.0			0.0			(4.0		)	(2.7		)	0.0			0.0
Foreign currency effect	0.0			0.0			(25.9		)	5.0			0.0			0.0
																0.0
Fair value of plan assets as of December 31	$	111.5		$	109.6		$	415.5		$	398.5		$	0.0		$	0.0

Funded status of the plans at December 31	$	(35.4	)	$	(23.5	)	$	(174.0	)	$	(171.4	)	$	(39.5	)	$	(37.9	)



	Domestic Pension Plan						Foreign Pension Plans						Domestic Postretirement Benefit Plan
December 31,	2014			2013			2014			2013			2014			2013
Amounts recognized in Consolidated Balance Sheets
Non-current asset	$	0.0		$	0.0		$	8.3		$	8.0		$	0.0		$	0.0
Current liability	0.0			0.0			(8.0		)	(7.6		)	(4.0		)	(4.2		)
Non-current liability	(35.4		)	(23.5		)	(174.3		)	(171.8		)	(35.5		)	(33.7		)

Net liability recognized	$	(35.4	)	$	(23.5	)	$	(174.0	)	$	(171.4	)	$	(39.5	)	$	(37.9	)

Accumulated benefit obligation	$	146.9		$	133.1		$	566.2		$	540.9

Amounts recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, net
Net actuarial loss (gain)	$	56.1		$	47.0		$	161.0		$	141.0		$	2.9		$	(1.5	)
Prior service cost (credit)	0.0			0.0			1.1			1.5			(0.4		)	(0.1		)
Transition obligation	0.0			0.0			0.0			0.0			0.0			0.0

Total amount recognized	$	56.1		$	47.0		$	162.1		$	142.5		$	2.5		$	(1.6	)

In 2015, we estimate that we will recognize $8.2 and $4.6 of net actuarial losses from accumulated other comprehensive loss, net into net periodic cost related to our domestic pension plan and significant foreign pension plans, respectively.

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)



	Domestic Pension Plan				Foreign Pension Plans
December 31,	2014		2013		2014		2013
Pension plans with underfunded or unfunded accumulated benefit obligation
Aggregate projected benefit obligation	$	146.9	$	133.1	$	577.1	$	553.2
Aggregate accumulated benefit obligation	146.9		133.1		559.5		528.7
Aggregate fair value of plan assets	111.5		109.6		395.8		374.7

Net Periodic Cost

The components of net periodic benefit cost and key assumptions are listed below.



	Domestic Pension Plan									Foreign Pension Plans									Domestic Postretirement Benefit Plan
Years ended December 31,	2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
Service cost	$	0.0		$	0.0		$	0.0		$	10.3		$	9.9		$	10.2		$	0.1		$	0.1		$	0.2
Interest cost	6.2			5.5			6.3			23.4			21.7			21.9			1.7			1.6			2.3
Expected return on plan assets	(7.3		)	(7.7		)	(7.7		)	(24.7		)	(19.2		)	(18.2		)	0.0			0.0			0.0
Settlement and curtailment losses (gains)	0.0			0.0			0.0			0.5			(0.1		)	0.7			0.0			0.0			0.0
Amortization of:
Transition obligation	0.0			0.0			0.0			0.0			0.0			0.0			0.0			0.0			0.2
Prior service cost (credit)	0.0			0.0			0.0			0.2			0.2			0.2			(0.2		)	(0.1		)	(0.1		)
Unrecognized actuarial losses	6.6			7.9			6.4			3.4			2.8			1.0			0.0			0.0			0.0
Net periodic cost	$	5.5		$	5.7		$	5.0		$	13.1		$	15.3		$	15.8		$	1.6		$	1.6		$	2.6

Assumptions



	Domestic Pension Plan						Foreign Pension Plans						Domestic Postretirement Benefit Plan
Years ended December 31,	2014		2013		2012		2014		2013		2012		2014		2013		2012
Net periodic cost
Discount rate	4.85	%	4.00	%	5.00	%	4.29	%	4.32	%	5.00	%	4.85	%	4.00	%	5.00	%
Rate of compensation increase	N/A		N/A		N/A		3.97	%	3.57	%	3.66	%	N/A		N/A		N/A
Expected return on plan assets	7.00	%	7.00	%	7.25	%	6.18	%	5.24	%	5.02	%	N/A		N/A		N/A
Benefit obligation
Discount rate	4.15	%	4.85	%	4.00	%	3.41	%	4.29	%	4.32	%	4.00	%	4.85	%	4.00	%
Rate of compensation increase	N/A		N/A		N/A		2.98	%	3.97	%	3.57	%	N/A		N/A		N/A
Health care cost trend rate assumed for next year
Initial rate (weighted-average)													7.00	%	7.50	%	8.00	%
Year ultimate rate is reached													2019		2019		2019
Ultimate rate													5.00	%	5.00	%	5.00	%

Discount Rates – At December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, we determined our discount rates for our domestic pension plan, foreign pension plans and domestic postretirement benefit plan based on either a bond selection/settlement approach or bond yield curve approach. Using the bond selection/settlement approach, we determine the discount rate by selecting a portfolio of corporate bonds appropriate to provide for the projected benefit payments. Using the bond yield curve approach, we determine the discount rate by matching the plans' cash flows to spot rates developed from a yield curve. Both approaches utilize high quality AA-rated corporate bonds and the plans' projected cash flows to develop a discounted value of the benefit payments, which is then used to develop a single discount rate. In countries where markets for high-quality long-term AA corporate bonds are not well developed, a portfolio of long-term government bonds is used as a basis to develop hypothetical corporate bond yields, which serve as a basis to derive the discount rate.

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Expected Return on Assets – Our expected rate of return is determined at the beginning of each year and considers asset class index returns over various market and economic conditions, current and expected market conditions, risk premiums associated with asset classes and long-term inflation rates. We determine both a short-term and long-term view and then select a long-term rate of return assumption that matches the duration of our liabilities.

Fair Value of Pension Plan Assets

The following table presents the fair value of our domestic and foreign pension plan assets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques utilized to determine such fair value. See Note 11 for a description of the fair value hierarchy.



	December 31, 2014								December 31, 2013
Asset Class	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Investment funds	$	18.8	$	372.6	$	40.1	$	431.5	$	22.2	$	359.1	$	25.4	$	406.7
Insurance contracts	0.0		19.3		0.0		19.3		0.0		22.0		0.0		22.0
Limited partnerships	0.0		0.0		32.1		32.1		0.0		0.0		36.1		36.1
Other	42.4		1.4		0.3		44.1		40.2		2.5		0.6		43.3
Total	$	61.2	$	393.3	$	72.5	$	527.0	$	62.4	$	383.6	$	62.1	$	508.1

Investment funds include mutual funds, common/collective trusts, hedge funds and other commingled assets that are invested primarily in equity and fixed income securities. Mutual funds, which are publicly traded, are primarily valued using recently reported sales prices. All other investment funds, which are not publicly traded, are valued based on the net asset value of shares held by the plan at year end, which reflects the fair value of the underlying investments. Insurance contracts are valued based on the cash surrender value of the contract. Limited partnerships are invested primarily in equity and fixed income securities. Other investments primarily include cash and cash equivalents, equity securities, derivatives and fixed income securities such as government and investment-grade corporate bonds.

The following table presents additional information about our domestic and foreign pension plan assets for which we utilize Level 3 inputs to determine fair value.



	Year ended December 31, 2014												Year ended December 31, 2013
	Investment Funds			Limited Partnerships			Other			Total			Investment Funds			Limited Partnerships			Other		Total
Balance at beginning of period	$	25.4		$	36.1		$	0.6		$	62.1		$	48.2		$	39.8		$	0.3	$	88.3
Actual return on assets:
Assets sold during the year	0.2			0.2			0.0			0.4			0.6			0.0			0.0		0.6
Assets still held at year end	(0.7		)	(0.3		)	(0.3		)	(1.3		)	1.9			(2.9		)	0.2		(0.8		)
Net purchases, sales and settlements	15.2			(3.9		)	0.0			11.3			(25.3		)	(0.8		)	0.1		(26.0		)
Balance at end of period	$	40.1		$	32.1		$	0.3		$	72.5		$	25.4		$	36.1		$	0.6	$	62.1

Asset Allocation

The primary investment goal for our plans’ assets is to maximize total asset returns while ensuring the plans’ assets are available to fund the plans’ liabilities as they become due. The plans’ assets in aggregate and at the individual portfolio level are invested so that total portfolio risk exposure and risk-adjusted returns best achieve this objective. The aggregate amount of our own stock held as investment for our domestic and foreign pension funds is considered negligible relative to the total fund assets. As of December 31, 2014, the weighted-average target and actual asset allocations relating to our domestic and foreign pension plans' assets are listed below.



			December 31,
Asset Class	2015 Target Allocation		2014		2013
Equity securities	24	%	22	%	24	%
Fixed income securities	48	%	46	%	43	%
Real estate	6	%	5	%	5	%
Other	22	%	27	%	28	%
Total	100	%	100	%	100	%

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Cash Flows

During 2014, we contributed $2.7 and $25.7 of cash to our domestic and foreign pension plans, respectively. For 2015, we expect to contribute approximately $3.0 and $24.0 of cash to our domestic and foreign pension plans, respectively.

The following estimated future benefit payments, which reflect future service, as appropriate, are expected to be paid in the years indicated below.



Years	Domestic Pension Plan		Foreign Pension Plans		Domestic Postretirement Benefit Plan
2015	$	10.6	$	22.4	$	4.4
2016	10.4		24.2		4.2
2017	10.1		25.6		4.1
2018	9.9		26.1		3.9
2019	9.6		30.7		3.7
2020 - 2024	44.6		148.0		15.1

The estimated future payments for our domestic postretirement benefit plan is before any estimated federal subsidies expected to be received under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003.

The following federal subsidies are expected to be received in the years indicated below.



Years	Domestic Postretirement Benefit Plan
2015	$	0.4
2016	0.4
2017	0.4
2018	0.4
2019	0.4
2020 - 2024	2.4

Savings Plans

We sponsor defined contribution plans (the “Savings Plans”) that cover substantially all domestic employees. The Savings Plans permit participants to make contributions on a pre-tax and/or after-tax basis and allow participants to choose among various investment alternatives. We match a portion of participant contributions based upon their years of service. Amounts expensed for the Savings Plans for 2014, 2013 and 2012 were $43.0, $37.7 and $35.6, respectively. Expense includes a discretionary Company contribution of $5.2, $4.9 and $4.8 offset by participant forfeitures of $3.6, $3.3 and $3.0 in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. In addition, we maintain defined contribution plans in various foreign countries and contributed $42.4, $36.9 and $34.0 to these plans in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Deferred Compensation and Benefit Arrangements

We have deferred compensation arrangements which (i) permit certain of our key officers and employees to defer a portion of their salary or incentive compensation, or (ii) require us to contribute an amount to the participant’s account. The arrangements typically provide that the participant will receive the amounts deferred plus interest upon attaining certain conditions, such as completing a certain number of years of service or upon retirement or termination. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the deferred compensation liability balance was $97.7 and $92.7, respectively. Amounts expensed for deferred compensation arrangements in 2014, 2013 and 2012 were $9.8, $13.4 and $9.8, respectively.

We have deferred benefit arrangements with certain key officers and employees that provide participants with an annual payment, payable when the participant attains a certain age and after the participant’s employment has terminated. The deferred benefit liability was $153.2 and $166.2 as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Amounts expensed for deferred benefit arrangements in 2014, 2013 and 2012 were $10.8, $14.0 and $15.0, respectively.

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

We have purchased life insurance policies on participants’ lives to assist in the funding of the related deferred compensation and deferred benefit liabilities. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the cash surrender value of these policies was $165.6 and $162.3, respectively. In addition to the life insurance policies, certain investments are held for the purpose of paying the deferred compensation and deferred benefit liabilities. These investments, along with the life insurance policies, are held in a separate revocable trust for the purpose of paying the deferred compensation and the deferred benefit arrangement liabilities. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the value of such investments in the trust was $8.5 and $7.7, respectively. The short-term investments are included in cash and cash equivalents, and the long-term investments and cash surrender value of the policies are included in other assets.

Long-Term Disability Plan

We have a long-term disability plan which provides income replacement benefits to eligible participants who are unable to perform their job duties during the first 24 months of disability. Income replacement benefits are continued thereafter if the participant is unable to perform any job related to his or her education, training or experience. As all income replacement benefits are fully insured, no related obligation is required as of December 31, 2014 and 2013. In addition to income replacement benefits, plan participants may remain covered for certain health and life insurance benefits up to age 65, and accordingly, we have recorded an obligation of $8.0 and $10.5 as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Note 13: Segment Information

As of December 31, 2014, we have two reportable segments, which are IAN and CMG. IAN is comprised of McCann Worldgroup, Foote, Cone & Belding ("FCB"), Lowe and Partners, IPG Mediabrands, our digital specialist agencies, and our domestic integrated agencies. CMG is comprised of a number of our specialist marketing services offerings. We also report results for the “Corporate and other” group.

Within IAN, our agencies provide a comprehensive array of global communications and marketing services, each offering a distinctive range of solutions for our clients. Our digital specialist agencies provide unique digital capabilities and service their own client rosters while also serving as key digital partners. In addition, our domestic integrated agencies, including Hill Holliday, Carmichael Lynch, Dailey, Tierney and Mullen, provide a full range of advertising, marketing communications services and/or marketing services and partner with our global operating divisions as needed. IAN’s operating divisions share similar economic characteristics and are similar in other areas, specifically related to the nature of their services, the manner in which the services are provided and the similarity of their respective customers.

CMG, which includes Weber Shandwick, Cassidy, DeVries, Golin, FutureBrand, Jack Morton, and Octagon Worldwide, provides clients with diversified services, including public relations, meeting and event production, sports and entertainment marketing, corporate and brand identity and strategic marketing consulting. CMG shares some similarities with service lines offered by IAN; however, on an aggregate basis, CMG has a higher proportion of arrangements for which they act as principal, a different distribution model than IAN and different margin structure.

The profitability measure employed by our chief operating decision maker for allocating resources to operating divisions and assessing operating division performance is operating income, excluding the impact of restructuring and other reorganization-related charges (reversals), net. With the exception of excluding these amounts from reportable segment operating income, all segments follow the same accounting policies as those described in Note 1.

Certain corporate and other charges are reported as a separate line item within total segment operating income and include corporate office expenses, as well as shared service center expenses and certain other centrally managed expenses that are not fully allocated to operating divisions. Salaries and related expenses include salaries, long-term incentive awards, annual bonuses and other miscellaneous benefits for corporate office employees. Office and general expenses primarily include professional fees related to internal control compliance, financial statement audits and legal, information technology and other consulting services, which are engaged and managed through the corporate office. In addition, office and general expenses includes rental expense and depreciation of leasehold improvements for properties occupied by corporate office employees. A portion of centrally managed expenses are allocated to operating divisions based on a formula that uses the planned revenues of each of the operating units. Amounts allocated also include specific charges for information technology-related projects, which are allocated based on utilization.

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Summarized financial information concerning our reportable segments is shown in the following table.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Revenue:
IAN	$	6,097.3		$	5,795.6		$	5,728.5
CMG	1,439.8			1,326.7			1,227.7
Total	$	7,537.1		$	7,122.3		$	6,956.2

Segment operating income:
IAN	$	777.1		$	662.1		$	700.2
CMG	161.0			137.6			114.2
Corporate and other	(149.5		)	(140.8		)	(137.3		)
Total	788.6			658.9			677.1

Restructuring and other reorganization-related (charges) reversals, net	(0.2		)	(60.6		)	1.2
Interest expense	(84.9		)	(122.7		)	(133.5		)
Interest income	27.4			24.7			29.5
Other (expense) income, net	(10.2		)	(32.3		)	100.5
Income before income taxes	$	720.7		$	468.0		$	674.8

Depreciation and amortization of fixed assets and intangible assets:
IAN	$	124.6		$	126.0		$	119.7
CMG	18.4			15.6			14.4
Corporate and other	20.0			15.8			13.6
Total	$	163.0		$	157.4		$	147.7

Capital expenditures:
IAN	$	92.1		$	109.0		$	97.5
CMG	11.6			18.5			26.7
Corporate and other	45.0			45.5			45.0
Total	$	148.7		$	173.0		$	169.2

	December 31,
	2014			2013
Total assets:
IAN	$	11,111.2		$	11,425.1
CMG	1,316.5			1,203.8
Corporate and other	319.5			276.1
Total	$	12,747.2		$	12,905.0

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Revenue and long-lived assets, excluding intangible assets, are presented by major geographic area in the following table.



	Revenue						Long-Lived Assets
	Years ended December 31,						December 31,
	2014		2013		2012		2014		2013
Domestic	$	4,184.0	$	3,972.6	$	3,803.6	$	572.9	$	545.7
International:
United Kingdom	688.3		568.3		572.0		56.7		60.8
Continental Europe	804.7		800.6		823.1		66.4		79.6
Asia Pacific	922.5		868.9		838.1		102.2		88.8
Latin America	470.4		464.5		450.1		69.2		72.3
Other	467.2		447.4		469.3		32.4		37.1
Total International	3,353.1		3,149.7		3,152.6		326.9		338.6
Total Consolidated	$	7,537.1	$	7,122.3	$	6,956.2	$	899.8	$	884.3

Revenue is primarily attributed to geographic areas based on where the services are performed. Property and equipment are allocated based upon physical location. Other assets and investments are allocated based on the location of the related operations.

Note 14: Commitments and Contingencies

Leases

We lease office premises and equipment. Where leases contain escalation clauses or concessions, such as rent holidays and landlord/tenant incentives or allowances, the impact of such adjustments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the minimum lease period. Certain leases provide for renewal options and require the payment of real estate taxes or other occupancy costs, which are also subject to escalation clauses. Net rent expense is listed in the table below.



	Years ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Gross rent expense	$	357.7		$	366.1		$	358.5
Third-party sublease rental income	(6.1		)	(16.1		)	(17.5		)
Net rent expense	$	351.6		$	350.0		$	341.0

Cash amounts for future minimum lease commitments for office premises and equipment under non-cancelable leases, along with minimum sublease rental income to be received under non-cancelable subleases, are listed in the table below.



Period	Rent Obligations		Sublease Rental Income			Net Rent
2015	$	328.4	$	(8.4	)	$	320.0
2016	288.9		(2.8		)	286.1
2017	248.3		(1.1		)	247.2
2018	222.3		(0.1		)	222.2
2019	198.9		0.0			198.9
Thereafter	845.1		0.0			845.1
Total	$	2,131.9	$	(12.4	)	$	2,119.5

Guarantees

We have guaranteed certain obligations of our subsidiaries relating principally to operating leases and credit facilities of certain subsidiaries. The amount of parent company guarantees on lease obligations was $580.4 and $588.1 as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and the amount of parent company guarantees primarily relating to credit facilities was $329.2 and $279.6 as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. In the event of non-payment by the applicable subsidiary of the obligations covered by a guarantee, we would be obligated to pay the amounts covered by that guarantee. As of December 31, 2014, there were no material assets pledged as security for such parent company guarantees.

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Contingent Acquisition Obligations

The following table details the estimated future contingent acquisition obligations payable in cash as of December 31, 2014.



	2015		2016		2017		2018		2019		Thereafter		Total
Deferred acquisition payments	$	60.3	$	21.3	$	49.1	$	7.9	$	10.8	$	0.9	$	150.3
Redeemable noncontrolling interests and call options with affiliates ¹	35.4		65.0		37.0		7.8		10.5		7.0		162.7
Total contingent acquisition payments	95.7		86.3		86.1		15.7		21.3		7.9		313.0
Less: cash compensation expense included above	1.9		1.6		0.7		0.0		0.0		0.0		4.2
Total	$	93.8	$	84.7	$	85.4	$	15.7	$	21.3	$	7.9	$	308.8

We have entered into certain acquisitions that contain both redeemable noncontrolling interests and call options with similar terms and conditions. The estimated amounts listed would be paid in the event of exercise at the earliest exercise date. We have certain redeemable noncontrolling interests that are exercisable at the discretion of the noncontrolling equity owners as of December 31, 2014. These estimated payments of $20.5 are included within the total payments expected to be made in 2015, and will continue to be carried forward into 2016 or beyond until exercised or expired. Redeemable noncontrolling interests are included in the table at current exercise price payable in cash, not at applicable redemption value in accordance with the authoritative guidance for classification and measurement of redeemable securities.

The majority of payments are contingent upon achieving projected operating performance targets and satisfying other conditions specified in the related agreements and are subject to revision in accordance with the terms of the respective agreements. See Note 4 for further information relating to the payment structure of our acquisitions.

Legal Matters

We are involved in various legal proceedings, and subject to investigations, inspections, audits, inquiries and similar actions by governmental authorities, arising in the normal course of business. The types of allegations that arise in connection with such legal proceedings vary in nature, but can include claims related to contract, employment, tax and intellectual property matters. We evaluate all cases each reporting period and record liabilities for losses from legal proceedings when we determine that it is probable that the outcome in a legal proceeding will be unfavorable and the amount, or potential range, of loss can be reasonably estimated. In certain cases, we cannot reasonably estimate the potential loss because, for example, the litigation is in its early stages. While any outcome related to litigation or such governmental proceedings in which we are involved cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes that the outcome of these matters, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Note 15: Recent Accounting Standards

Extraordinary and Unusual Items

In January 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued amended guidance which eliminates the concept of extraordinary items from generally accepted accounting principles. This amendment is effective beginning January 1, 2016, and may be applied retrospectively or prospectively. Early adoption is permitted. Prior to this amendment, an entity was required to separately classify and present an event or transaction that was determined to be both unusual in nature and infrequent in occurrence as an extraordinary item, net of tax, after income from continuing operations in the income statement. Upon adopting this amended guidance, a material event or transaction that an entity considers to be unusual or infrequent, or both, may still be presented separately but will now be presented on a pre-tax basis within income from continuing operations or disclosed in the notes to the financial statements. We plan to early adopt this guidance for the quarter ending March 31, 2015. The adoption of this amended guidance will not have an impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Going Concern

In August 2014, the FASB issued amended guidance which defines management's responsibility to evaluate whether there are conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related disclosures. Currently, this evaluation is only an auditor requirement. Specifically, the amendments (1) provide a definition of the term “substantial doubt,” (2) require an evaluation every reporting period, (3) provide principles for considering the mitigating effect of management’s plans, (4) require certain disclosures when substantial doubt is alleviated as a result of the consideration of management’s plans, (5) require an express statement and other disclosures when substantial doubt is not alleviated, and (6) require an assessment for a period of one year after the date that financial statements are issued. This amended guidance will be effective for us beginning January 1, 2016. We do not expect the adoption of this amended guidance to have a significant impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Share-Based Payments with Performance Targets

In June 2014, the FASB issued amended guidance which requires that a performance target that affects vesting, and that could be achieved after the requisite service period, be treated as a performance condition. As such, the performance target should not be reflected in estimating the grant date fair value of the award. This amended guidance will be effective for us beginning January 1, 2016 and can be either applied prospectively or retrospectively. We are currently assessing the impact the adoption of the amended guidance will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Revenue Recognition

In May 2014, the FASB issued amended guidance on revenue recognition, which will be effective for us beginning January 1, 2017 and can be applied retrospectively or as a cumulative effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. Early adoption is not permitted. The amended guidance requires entities to recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. We are currently assessing the impact the adoption of the amended guidance will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Discontinued Operations

In April 2014, the FASB issued amended guidance which changes the criteria for reporting a discontinued operation, which will be effective for us beginning January 1, 2015 and applied prospectively. Early adoption is permitted, but only for disposals (or classifications as held for sale) that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued or available for issuance. The amended guidance limits reporting on discontinued operations involving disposals of an entity's components that represent strategic shifts that have (or will have) a major effect on an entity’s operations and financial results. The amended guidance also expands the definition of a discontinued operation to include disposals of equity method investments and a business or nonprofit activity that, on acquisition, meets the criteria to be classified as held for sale. The amended guidance also requires enhanced disclosure requirements related to discontinued operations as well as additional disclosures regarding individually significant disposals that do not qualify for discontinued operations reporting. We early adopted the amended guidance for the quarter ended June 30, 2014. The adoption of this amended guidance did not have a significant impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Table of Contents

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

Note 16: Results by Quarter (Unaudited)



	Three Months Ended March 31,						Three Months Ended June 30,						Three Months Ended September 30,						Three Months Ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2014			2013			2014			2013			2014			2013
Revenue	$	1,637.5		$	1,543.0		$	1,851.4		$	1,756.2		$	1,841.1		$	1,700.4		$	2,207.1		$	2,122.7
Salaries and related expenses	1,188.6			1,132.1			1,170.2			1,120.2			1,195.2			1,093.6			1,266.4			1,199.6
Office and general expenses	461.1			453.4			484.7			460.9			474.7			465.5			507.6			538.1
Restructuring and other reorganization-related (reversals) charges, net	(0.5		)	(0.1		)	0.7			0.3			(0.1		)	(0.2		)	0.1			60.6
Operating (loss) income	(11.7		)	(42.4		)	195.8			174.8			171.3			141.5			433.0			324.4
Other income (expense), net ¹	1.7			1.8			(11.2		)	4.8			(0.6		)	(46.6		)	(0.1		)	7.7
Total (expenses) and other income¹	(12.3		)	(28.6		)	(27.2		)	(26.9		)	(13.8		)	(64.5		)	(14.4		)	(10.3		)
(Benefit of) provision for income taxes ²	(1.7		)	(12.4		)	65.3			62.0			65.0			28.4			87.9			103.2
Net (loss) income	(22.4		)	(58.5		)	103.7			86.1			92.8			49.2			331.3			212.1
Net (loss) income available to IPG common stockholders ²	$	(20.9	)	$	(59.2	)	$	99.4		$	79.9		$	89.7		$	45.4		$	308.9		$	193.1
(Loss) earnings per share available to IPG common stockholders:
Basic	$	(0.05	)	$	(0.14	)	$	0.24		$	0.19		$	0.21		$	0.11		$	0.75		$	0.45
Diluted	$	(0.05	)	$	(0.14	)	$	0.23		$	0.18		$	0.21		$	0.11		$	0.73		$	0.44

Dividends declared per common stock	$	0.095		$	0.075		$	0.095		$	0.075		$	0.095		$	0.075		$	0.095		$	0.075


1	The three months ended June 30, 2014 included a pre-tax loss of $10.4, related to our early extinguishment of debt. The three months ended September 30, 2013 included a pre-tax loss of $45.2, related to our early extinguishment of debt.


2	The three months ended December 31, 2014 included a tax benefit of $67.6 due to the net reversal of valuation allowances on deferred tax assets in Continental Europe.

Note 17: Subsequent Events

In February 2015, we announced that our Board had approved a new share repurchase program to repurchase from time to time up to $300.0, excluding fees, of our common stock (the "2015 Share Repurchase Program"). The authorization for repurchases under the 2015 Share Repurchase Program is in addition to any amounts remaining available for repurchase under the 2014 Share Repurchase Program. See Note 5 for further information on the 2014 Share Repurchase Program. We may effect such repurchases under the 2015 Share Repurchase Program through open market purchases, trading plans established in accordance with SEC rules, derivative transactions or other means. The timing and amount of repurchases under the authorization will depend on market conditions and other funding requirements. There is no expiration date associated with the share repurchase programs.

We also announced in February 2015, that our Board had declared a common stock cash dividend of 0.12 per share, payable on March 16, 2015 to holders of record as of the close of business on March 2, 2015.



Item 9.	Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

None.



Item 9A.	Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures

In connection with the preparation of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, we have carried out an evaluation under the supervision of, and with the participation of, our management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)). Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded (1) that the disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2014 to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms and (2) that the disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2014 to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of any system of disclosure controls and procedures, including the possibility of human error and the circumvention or overriding of the controls and procedures. Accordingly, even effective disclosure controls and procedures can only provide reasonable assurance of achieving their control objectives.

Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Management (with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer) conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based on this evaluation, management concluded that IPG’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2014. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, has audited the effectiveness of IPG’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, as stated in their report which appears in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Changes in internal control over financial reporting

There has been no change in internal control over financial reporting in the quarter ended December 31, 2014 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.



Item 9B.	Other Information

None.

PART III



Item 10.	Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to the “Election of Directors” section, the “Director Selection Process” section, the “Code of Conduct” section, the “Principal Committees of The Board of Directors” section, the “Audit Committee” section and the “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” section of the Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on May 21, 2015 (the “Proxy Statement”), except for the description of our Executive Officers, which appears in Part I of this Report on Form 10-K under the heading “Executive Officers of IPG.”

New York Stock Exchange Certification

In 2014, our Chief Executive Officer provided the Annual CEO Certification to the New York Stock Exchange, as required under Section 303A.12(a) of the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual.



Item 11.	Executive Compensation

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to the “Executive Compensation” section, the “Non-Management Director Compensation” section, the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section and the “Compensation and Leadership Talent Committee Report” section of the Proxy Statement.



Item 12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to the “Outstanding Shares and Ownership of Common Stock” section of the Proxy Statement, except for information regarding the shares of common stock to be issued or which may be issued under our equity compensation plans as of December 31, 2014, which is provided in the following table.

Equity Compensation Plan Information



Plan Category	Number of Shares of Common Stock to be Issued Upon Exercise of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights (a)^1,2,3	Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Outstanding Stock Options (b)	Number of Securities Remaining Available for Future Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans (Excluding Securities Reflected in Column (a)) (c)⁴
Equity Compensation Plans Approved by Security Holders	15,563,666	9.70	41,661,517
Equity Compensation Plans Not Approved by Security Holders	None

Included a total of 5,866,475 performance-based share awards made under the 2009 and 2014 Performance Incentive Plans representing the target number of shares of Common Stock to be issued to employees following the completion of the 2012-2014 performance period (the “2014 LTIP Share Awards”), the 2013-2015 performance period (the “2015 LTIP Share Awards”) and the 2014-2016 performance period (the “2016 LTIP Share Awards”), respectively. The computation of the weighted-average exercise price in column (b) of this table does not take the 2014 LTIP Share Awards, the 2015 LTIP Share Awards or the 2016 LTIP Share Awards into account.

Included a total of 98,877 restricted share units and performance-based awards (“Share Unit Awards”) which may be settled in shares of Common Stock or cash. The computation of the weighted-average exercise price in column (b) of this table does not take the Share Unit Awards into account. Each Share Unit Award actually settled in cash will increase the number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance shown in column (c).


3	IPG has issued restricted cash awards ("Performance Cash Awards"), half of which shall be settled in shares of Common Stock and half of which shall be settled in cash. Using the 2014 closing stock price of $20.77, the awards which shall be settled in shares of Common Stock represent rights to an additional 2,721,405 shares. These shares are not included in the table above.


4	Included (i) 29,045,044 shares of Common Stock available for issuance under the 2014 Performance Incentive Plan, (ii) 12,181,214 shares of Common Stock available for issuance under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (2006) and (iii) 435,259 shares of Common Stock available for issuance under the 2009 Non-Management Directors’ Stock Incentive Plan.



Item 13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to the “Review and Approval of Transactions with Related Persons” section and the “Director Independence” section of the Proxy Statement.



Item 14.	Principal Accountant Fees and Services

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to the “Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” section of the Proxy Statement.

PART IV



Item 15.	Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

(a) Listed below are all financial statements, financial statement schedules and exhibits filed as part of this Report on Form 10-K.

1. Financial Statements:

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

2. Financial Statement Schedules:

All financial statement schedules are omitted because they are either not applicable or the required information is otherwise provided.

3. Exhibits:

All exhibits, including management contracts and compensatory plans or arrangements, required pursuant to Item 601 of Regulation S-K to be filed as part of this report or incorporated herein by reference to other documents, are listed in the Exhibit Index that immediately precedes the exhibits filed with this Report on Form 10-K and the exhibits transmitted to the SEC as part of the electronic filing of this Report.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.



	THE INTERPUBLIC GROUP OF COMPANIES, INC.
	(Registrant)

	By	/s/ Michael I. Roth
		Michael I. Roth Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

Date: February 23, 2015

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.



Name	Title	Date
/s/ Michael I. Roth	Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)	February 23, 2015
Michael I. Roth		February 23, 2015

/s/ Frank Mergenthaler	Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)	February 23, 2015
Frank Mergenthaler		February 23, 2015

/s/ Christopher F. Carroll	Senior Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer)	February 23, 2015
Christopher F. Carroll		February 23, 2015

/s/ Jocelyn Carter-Miller	Director	February 23, 2015
Jocelyn Carter-Miller	Director	February 23, 2015

/s/ Jill M. Considine	Director	February 23, 2015
Jill M. Considine	Director	February 23, 2015

/s/ Richard A. Goldstein	Director	February 23, 2015
Richard A. Goldstein	Director	February 23, 2015

/s/ H. John Greeniaus	Director	February 23, 2015
H. John Greeniaus	Director	February 23, 2015

/s/ Mary J. Steele Guilfoile	Director	February 23, 2015
Mary J. Steele Guilfoile	Director	February 23, 2015

/s/ Dawn Hudson	Director	February 23, 2015
Dawn Hudson	Director	February 23, 2015

/s/ William T. Kerr	Director	February 23, 2015
William T. Kerr	Director	February 23, 2015

/s/ David M. Thomas	Director	February 23, 2015
David M. Thomas	Director	February 23, 2015

EXHIBIT INDEX



Exhibit No.		Description
3(i)		Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant dated as of October 24, 2013, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(i)(2) to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2013.

3(ii)		By-Laws of the Registrant, as amended through October 24, 2013, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(ii) to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2013.

4(iii)(A)		Senior Debt Indenture dated as of March 2, 2012 (the "2012 Indenture"), between the Registrant and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 2, 2012.

4(iii)(B)		First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 2, 2012, to the 2012 Indenture, with respect to the 4.00% Senior Notes due 2022 is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 2, 2012.

4(iii)(C)		Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of November 8, 2012, to the 2012 Indenture, with respect to the 2.25% Senior Notes due 2017 is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 8, 2012.

4(iii)(D)		Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of November 8, 2012, to the 2012 Indenture, with respect to the 3.75% Senior Notes due 2023 is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 8, 2012.

4(iii)(E)		Fourth Supplemental Indenture between the Company and US Bank, as Trustee, dated as of April 3, 2014, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on April 3, 2014.

10(i)(A)		5-Year Credit Agreement, dated as of July 18, 2008, amended and restated as of April 23, 2010, as further amended and restated as of May 31, 2011, as further amended as of November 6, 2012 and as further amended and restated as of December 12, 2013 among the Registrant, the lenders named therein and Citibank, N.A. as administrative agent is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 17, 2013.

(i) Michael I. Roth

10(iii)(A)(1)		Employment Agreement, made as of July 13, 2004, by and between the Registrant and Michael I. Roth, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(9) to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2004.*

10(iii)(A)(2)		Supplemental Employment Agreement, dated as of January 19, 2005, between the Registrant and Michael I. Roth, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 21, 2005.*

10(iii)(A)(3)		Supplemental Employment Agreement, dated as of February 14, 2005, between the Registrant and Michael I. Roth, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 17, 2005.*

10(iii)(A)(4)		Amendment, made as of September 12, 2007, to an Employment Agreement, made as of July 13, 2004, between the Registrant and Michael I. Roth, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(7) to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007. *

10(iii)(A)(5)		Amendment, dated May 1, 2008, to an Employment Agreement, made as of July 13, 2004, between the Registrant and Michael I. Roth, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(1) to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2008.*

10(iii)(A)(6)		The Interpublic Senior Executive Retirement Income Plan Participation Agreement, dated March 31, 2008, between the Registrant and Michael Roth, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(1) to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2008.*



Exhibit No.		Description
10(iii)(A)(7)		Executive Change of Control Agreement, effective as of May 27, 2010, by and between the Registrant and Michael I. Roth, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on May 27, 2010.*

10(iii)(A)(8)		Extension of Existing Executive Change of Control Agreement by and between the Registrant and Michael I. Roth, dated August 29, 2013 is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on August 30, 2013.*

(ii) Andrew Bonzani

10(iii)(A)(9)		Employment Agreement, effective as of December 22, 2011, by and between the Registrant and Andrew Bonzani, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit(iii)(A)(8) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.*

10(iii)(A)(10)		Executive Change of Control Agreement, effective as of December 22, 2011, by and between the Registrant and Andrew Bonzani, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit(iii)(A)(9) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.*

10(iii)(A)(11)		Extension of Existing Executive Change of Control Agreement by and between the Registrant and Andrew Bonzani, dated August 29, 2013 is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on August 30, 2013.*

(iii) Christopher Carroll

10(iii)(A)(12)		Employment Agreement, made as of April, 2006, by and between the Registrant and Christopher Carroll, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(8) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.*

10(iii)(A)(13)		Amendment, dated as of October 29, 2007, to an Employment Agreement, made as of April 1, 2006, between the Registrant and Christopher Carroll, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(9) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.*

10(iii)(A)(14)		Executive Change of Control Agreement, effective as of May 31, 2010, by and between the Registrant and Christopher Carroll, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(10) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.*

10(iii)(A)(15)		Extension of Existing Executive Change of Control Agreement by and between the Registrant and Christopher Carroll, dated August 29, 2013 is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on August 30, 2013.*

(iv) Philippe Krakowsky

10(iii)(A)(16)		Executive Special Benefits Agreement, dated as of February 1, 2002, and signed as of August 21, 2002, between the Registrant and Philippe Krakowsky, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(v) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2002.*

10(iii)(A)(17)		Employment Agreement, made as of January 1, 2006 and executed on March 20, 2006, by and between the Registrant and Philippe Krakowsky, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 24, 2006.*

10(iii)(A)(18)		Amendment, made as of September 12, 2007, to an Employment Agreement, made as of January 1, 2006, between the Registrant and Philippe Krakowsky, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(13) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007.*

10(iii)(A)(19)		Amendment, dated September 12, 2007, to an Executive Special Benefit Agreement, dated February 1, 2002, between the Registrant and Philippe Krakowsky, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(15) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report of Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007.*

10(iii)(A)(20)		Amendment, dated May 1, 2008, to an Employment Agreement, made as of January 1, 2006, between the Registrant and Philippe Krakowsky, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(3) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2008.*



Exhibit No.		Description
10(iii)(A)(21)		Executive Change of Control Agreement, effective as of May 27, 2010, by and between the Registrant and Philippe Krakowsky, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on May 27, 2010.*

10(iii)(A)(22)		Extension of Existing Executive Change of Control Agreement by and between the Registrant and Philippe Krakowsky, dated August 29, 2013 is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on August 30, 2013.*

(v) Frank Mergenthaler

10(iii)(A)(23)		Employment Agreement, made as of July 13, 2005, between the Registrant and Frank Mergenthaler is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 19, 2005.*

10(iii)(A)(24)		Amendment, made as of September 12, 2007, to an Employment Agreement, made as of July 18, 2005, between the Registrant and Frank Mergenthaler, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(9) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007.*

10(iii)(A)(25)		Amendment, dated May 1, 2008, to an Employment Agreement, made as of July 18, 2005, between the Registrant and Frank Mergenthaler, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(2) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2008.*

10(iii)(A)(26)		Executive Change of Control Agreement, effective as of May 27, 2010, by and between the Registrant and Frank Mergenthaler, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on May 27, 2010.*

10(iii)(A)(27)		Extension of Existing Executive Change of Control Agreement by and between the Registrant and Frank Mergenthaler, dated August 29, 2013 is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on August 30, 2013.*

(vi) Jill M. Considine

10(iii)(A)(28)		Amended and Restated Deferred Compensation Agreement dated as of September 4, 2008, between the Registrant and Jill M. Considine, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(1) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2008.*

10(iii)(A)(29)		Letter, dated November 2, 2006, from Jill M. Considine to the Registrant, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(B) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2006.*

(vii) Richard A. Goldstein

10(iii)(A)(30)		Amended and Restated Deferred Compensation Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2008, between the Registrant and Richard A. Goldstein, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(3) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2008.*

10(iii)(A)(31)		Letter, dated July 24, 2006, from Richard A. Goldstein to the Registrant, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2006.*

Compensation Plans and Arrangements:

10(iii)(A)(32)		The Interpublic 2004 Performance Incentive Plan (the "2004 PIP") is incorporated by reference to Appendix B to the Registrant's Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 23, 2004.*

10(iii)(A)(33)		2004 PIP - Form of Option Certificate is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 27, 2004.*

10(iii)(A)(34)		The Employee Stock Purchase Plan (2006) of the Registrant is incorporated by reference to Appendix B to the Registrant's Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on October 21, 2005.*



Exhibit No.		Description
10(iii)(A)(35)		Amendment No. 1 to the ESPP is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(1) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2013

10(iii)(A)(36)		Amendment No. 2 to the ESPP is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(2) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.

10(iii)(A)(37)		The Interpublic 2006 Performance Incentive Plan (the "2006 PIP") is incorporated by reference to Appendix A to the Registrant's Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on April 27, 2006.*

10(iii)(A)(38)		Amendment to the 2006 PIP is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(1) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2009.*

10(iii)(A)(39)		2006 PIP - Form of Instrument of Nonstatutory Stock Options is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 21, 2006.*

10(iii)(A)(40)		The Interpublic 2009 Performance Incentive Plan (the “2009 PIP”) is incorporated by reference to Appendix A to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 2, 2009.*

10(iii)(A)(41)		2009 PIP Restricted Stock Award Agreement (updated 2014) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(57) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.*

10(iii)(A)(42)		2009 PIP Performance Share Award Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(4) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2009.*

10(iii)(A)(43)		2009 PIP Performance Share Award Agreement (updated 2013) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(58) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.*

10(iii)(A)(44)		2009 PIP Performance Share Award Agreement (updated 2014) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(61) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.*

10(iii)(A)(45)		2009 PIP Combined Restricted Stock and Performance Cash Award Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(6) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2009.*

10(iii)(A)(46)		2009 PIP Non-Statutory Stock Option Award Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(8) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2009.*

10(iii)(A)(47)		2009 PIP Performance Cash Award Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(88) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.*

10(iii)(A)(48)		2009 PIP Performance Cash Award Agreement (updated 2013) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(66) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.*

10(iii)(A)(49)		2009 PIP Performance Cash Award Agreement (updated 2014) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(69) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.*

10(iii)(A)(50)		2009 PIP Non-Statutory Stock Option Award Agreement (updated 2010) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(89) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.*

10(iii)(A)(51)		2009 PIP Non-Statutory Stock Option Award Agreement (updated 2013) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(68) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.*

10(iii)(A)(52)		The 2009 Non-Management Directors’ Stock Incentive Plan (the “2009 NMD Plan”) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(9) to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2009.*

10(iii)(A)(53)		Amendment to the 2009 NMD Plan is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(2) to the Registrant's Quarterly Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2012.*

10(iii)(A)(54)		2009 NMD Plan Restricted Stock Award Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(10) to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2009.*



Exhibit No.		Description
10(iii)(A)(55)		2009 NMD Plan Restricted Stock Award Agreement (updated 2013) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(3) to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2012.*

10(iii)(A)(56)		2009 NMD Plan Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(11) to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2009.*

10(iii)(A)(57)		2009 NMD Plan Non-Statutory Stock Option Award Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(12) to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2009.*

10(iii)(A)(58)		Supplement to the 2006 PIP and 2009 PIP is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(88) to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009.*

10(iii)(A)(59)		The Interpublic Group 2014 Performance Incentive Plan (the “2014 PIP”) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 28, 2014.*

10(iii)(A)(60)		2014 PIP Restricted Stock Award Agreement.*

10(iii)(A)(61)		2014 PIP Performance Share Award Agreement.*

10(iii)(A)(62)		2014 PIP Performance Cash Award Agreement.*

10(iii)(A)(63)		The Interpublic Group Executive Performance (162(m)) Plan) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 28, 2014.*

10(iii)(A)(64)		The Interpublic Executive Severance Plan, amended and restated, effective August 1, 2014, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(3) to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed with the SEC on July 24, 2014.*

10(iii)(A)(65)		The Interpublic Senior Executive Retirement Income Plan, Amended and Restated (the "Restated SERIP"), effective January 1, 2007, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(1) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007.*

10(iii)(A)(66)		Restated SERIP - Form of Restated Participation Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(2) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007.*

10(iii)(A)(67)		Restated SERIP - Form of Participation Agreement (Form For New Participants) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(3) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007.*

10(iii)(A)(68)		The Interpublic Senior Executive Retirement Income Plan, amended and restated, effective August 1, 2014, and form of Participation Agreement for New Participants is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(2) to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed with the SEC on July 24, 2014.*

10(iii)(A)(69)		The Interpublic Capital Accumulation Plan, Amended and Restated (the “Restated CAP”), effective January 1, 2007, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(4) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007.*

10(iii)(A)(70)		Restated CAP - Form of Restated Participation Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(5) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007.*

10(iii)(A)(71)		Restated CAP - Form of Participation Agreement (Form For New Participants), is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(6) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007.*

10(iii)(A)(72)		The Interpublic Capital Accumulation Plan, amended and restated, effective August 1, 2014, and form of Participation Agreement for New Participants is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(1) to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (the “Company”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on July 24, 2014.*

10(iii)(A)(73)		Description of Changes to the Compensation of Board Committee Chairs and Presiding Director is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(2) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2009.*

10(iii)(A)(74)		Description of the Change in Compensation for Non-Management Directors and Board Committee Chairs is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(73) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.*



10(iii)(A)(75)		Description of the Changes to the Compensation of Non-Management Directors and the Corporate Governance Committee Chair is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10(iii)(A)(1) to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2012.*



Exhibit No.		Description
12		Computation of Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges.

21		Subsidiaries of the Registrant.

23		Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

24		Power of Attorney to sign Form 10-K and resolution of Board of Directors re Power of Attorney.

31.1		Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

31.2		Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

32		Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer furnished pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 and Rule 13a-14(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

101		Interactive Data File, for the period ended December 31, 2014.


*	Management contracts and compensation plans and arrangements.