Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Raised to "Strong-Buy" at Erste Group Bank

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank upgraded Marsh & McLennan to “strong-buy,” though the broader analyst consensus remains “Hold,” with an average price target of $203.50.
• MRSH opened at $177.08, down from its 50-day moving average of $185.85. The company exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $2.96 EPS versus the $2.89 consensus, while revenue rose 6.2% year over year to $7.28 billion.
• Insiders sold 19,813 shares worth approximately $3.6 million over the past 90 days, while institutional investors own a substantial 87.99% of the company.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Erste Group Bank to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued on Tuesday, Zacks reports.

MRSH has been the subject of a number of other reports. Piper Sandler cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $203.50.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.1%

MRSH stock opened at $177.08 on Tuesday. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a twelve month low of $156.60 and a twelve month high of $207.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $84.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.65, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.58. The business's 50-day moving average price is $185.85.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.67% and a net margin of 14.24%.The firm had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 10.44 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, Director Lloyd Yates sold 12,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.65, for a total transaction of $2,107,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 12,001 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,107,975.65. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Martin South sold 7,100 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.99, for a total value of $1,348,929.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 16,632 shares in the company, valued at $3,159,913.68. The trade was a 29.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 19,813 shares of company stock valued at $3,597,903. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Marsh & McLennan Companies

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter worth about $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

Marsh & McLennan Companies, now operating under the name Marsh McLennan, is a global professional services firm that helps organizations manage risk, strategy and people-related challenges. Its businesses serve corporations, governments, institutional investors and other organizations across a broad range of industries and geographies.

The company's principal businesses include Marsh, an insurance brokerage and risk advisory firm; Guy Carpenter, which provides reinsurance brokerage and related risk management services; Mercer, which offers consulting in areas such as talent, health, retirement and investments; and Oliver Wyman, a management consulting firm.

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