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

Key Points

• Marsh & McLennan has a consensus analyst rating of "Hold" from 18 covering analysts, with an average 12-month price target of about $203.56.
• The company recently beat quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $3.29 EPS versus estimates of $3.21, while revenue rose 7.6% year over year to $7.30 billion.
• Several analysts trimmed price targets in recent reports, while insider and institutional activity has been notable, including CEO John Q. Doyle selling shares and hedge funds continuing to hold a large majority of the stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the eighteen analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have issued a hold recommendation, six have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $203.5625.

MRSH has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Mizuho dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 13th.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of MRSH opened at $160.70 on Thursday. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a twelve month low of $158.16 and a twelve month high of $235.78. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $166.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $172.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $77.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.09, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The business had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 10.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.38% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Numerai GP LLC grew its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 966.2% during the third quarter. Numerai GP LLC now owns 37,220 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $7,501,000 after buying an additional 33,729 shares in the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.5% during the fourth quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 134,542 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $24,960,000 after buying an additional 11,648 shares in the last quarter. Rockland Trust Co. grew its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 801.6% during the third quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 12,073 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,433,000 after buying an additional 10,734 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 41.7% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,202,372 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $443,844,000 after buying an additional 647,987 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bridges Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.4% during the third quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 76,196 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $15,356,000 after buying an additional 3,177 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company Profile

Marsh & McLennan Companies NYSE: MMC is a global professional services firm headquartered in New York City that provides advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy and people. Founded in 1905, the company has grown into a diversified group of businesses focused on insurance brokerage and risk management, reinsurance, human capital and investment consulting, and management consulting. Its long history and scale position it as a prominent adviser to corporations, governments and other institutions seeking to manage risk and optimize human and financial capital.

The firm operates through several well-known subsidiaries and business units that specialize in distinct services.

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