Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Given New $218.00 Price Target at Mizuho

Key Points

• Mizuho raised its price target on Marsh & McLennan to $218 from $200 but maintained a neutral rating, implying 4.52% upside from the stock’s then-current price.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: MarketBeat reported a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $206.79, with 18 analysts rating the stock Buy or Strong Buy and 11 rating it Hold or Sell.
• Marsh & McLennan beat quarterly earnings expectations, reporting EPS of $2.03 versus $1.96 expected; revenue reached $6.86 billion, up 8.1% year over year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) had its price target upped by investment analysts at Mizuho from $200.00 to $218.00 in a research report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "neutral" rating on the financial services provider's stock. Mizuho's price target would suggest a potential upside of 4.52% from the stock's current price.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $180.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, October 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $193.00 to $188.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $183.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, October 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $206.79.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:MRSH traded up $2.88 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $208.56. 385,497 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,758,569. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $185.11. The stock has a market cap of $99.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.09. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a twelve month low of $156.60 and a twelve month high of $214.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.86 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 33.32% and a net margin of 14.20%. The firm's revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 10.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, VP Stacy Mills sold 1,215 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $243,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 2,705 shares of the company's stock, valued at $541,000. The trade was a 30.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO Dean Klisura sold 4,194 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $838,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 20,935 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,187,000. This trade represents a 16.69% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter worth about $6,583,806,000. Corient Private Wealth LP acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $66,475,000. Ninety One UK Ltd boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 41.8% during the third quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 5,632,700 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $961,671,000 after purchasing an additional 1,661,178 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $685,621,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $575,845,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

Marsh & McLennan Companies, now known as Marsh, is a professional services firm focused on risk, strategy and people. Its businesses help organizations assess and manage risk, arrange insurance and reinsurance, and address workforce and organizational challenges. The company operates through Marsh, an insurance brokerage and risk advisory business; Guy Carpenter, which specializes in reinsurance and related risk services; Mercer, which provides health, wealth and career consulting; and Oliver Wyman, a management consulting firm.

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