• January 9, 2009

Shares of Aegis Group stock soared this morning following an upgrade from Goldman Sachs, which lifted its recommendation to "buy" from "neutral." While Madison Avenue stocks have been hammered by the recent economic downturn, the equities firm said shares of Aegis deserved a premium over other ad agencies because of its business mix, as well as a recent management shakeup. That shakeup, which ousted former CEO Robert Lerwill - on an interim basis by Chairman Robert Napier, and the retention of a new broker to explore strategic options for the London-based agency holding company, has fueled renewed speculation that Aegis may once again be in play. Aegis is the parent of Carat, Isobar, Posterscope and other media and marketing services networks.