According to a report by Marketing Services Financial Intelligence, prices of most shares in publicly listed marketing services companies fell more sharply than the FTSE All-Share Index, during the worldwide stock market wobble at the beginning of the month. The slide posed a threat to the marketing services firms' ability to issue shares to fund acquisitions.
The FTSE All-Share Index fell by 1.7% in the month to March 12, whereas marketing services companies' shares fell on average by 3.5%, opening up a big gap between the performance of the FTSE All-Share Index and the stuttering performance of marketing services companies over the past 18 months.
Some of the most famous names in the global media industry suffered a fall in price values in the month to March 12. Aegis, which owns Carat and Synovate, suffered a 3.3% drop.
M&C Saatchi's price fell by 4.5%, while Adventis Group, Chime Communications, Creston and Optimisa also suffered price falls.
The worst falls in the one month period were experienced by Cagney, Thomson Intermedia and Adventis Group.
However, not every share price suffered, with groups such as WPP and Taylor Nelson Sofres, bucking the trend.
Bob Willott, the editor of the report, said: "In the month to March 12, WPP Group added a 2.5% rise to the 19.4% rise enjoyed in the previous year.
"Shares in Cello Group, Digital Marketing Group, Huntsworth and Motivcom also edged upwards, while prices of Media Square and Taylor Nelson Sofres reversed previous declines after announcing positive developments around the time of the market wobble."
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