Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) Given Average Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has received an average recommendation of "Hold" from analysts, with two sell ratings, ten hold ratings, and six buy ratings, while the average 1-year price target is approximately $238.76.
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the company's stock, representing a 19.38% decrease in his position, with the shares sold at an average price of $205.65.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.90, resulting in an annualized dividend yield of 1.8% and a dividend payout ratio of 43.17%.

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus recommendation of "Hold" by the eighteen research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $238.7647.

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on MMC shares. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $256.00 price objective for the company. Barclays decreased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $249.00 to $233.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 7th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 18th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 18th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $226.00 price target for the company.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock traded up $0.67 during trading on Friday, hitting $196.82. 3,617,654 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,944,385. The firm has a market capitalization of $96.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.81. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a 1-year low of $195.01 and a 1-year high of $248.00. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $205.22 and its 200 day moving average price is $218.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 1.20.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 17th. The financial services provider reported $2.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.66 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.92 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.90% and a net margin of 16.00%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.41 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 2nd. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio is 43.17%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.65, for a total transaction of $4,334,896.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 87,681 shares of the company's stock, valued at $18,031,597.65. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Accent Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Knuff & Co LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Activest Wealth Management raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2,775.0% in the 1st quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 115 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 363.3% during the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 139 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company Profile

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services.