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

Key Points

• Broker sentiment is cautious: Marsh & McLennan has an average analyst recommendation of “Hold” from 18 brokerages, with a consensus 1-year price target of about $200.19.
• Recent analyst updates were mixed: UBS and Citigroup maintained or upgraded to bullish ratings, while Mizuho and Bank of America cut price targets and Weiss Ratings lowered its hold rating slightly.
• Insider and stock performance updates: CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares in a pre-arranged trade, and the stock recently traded near $161.96, close to its 52-week low of $156.60.

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of "Hold" from the eighteen brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have assigned a hold recommendation, six have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $200.1875.

Several brokerages have weighed in on MRSH. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $203.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Citigroup raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value of $2,693,441.76. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. Numerai GP LLC increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 966.2% in the 3rd quarter. Numerai GP LLC now owns 37,220 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $7,501,000 after acquiring an additional 33,729 shares during the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.5% in the 4th quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 134,542 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $24,960,000 after acquiring an additional 11,648 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 41.7% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,202,372 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $443,844,000 after acquiring an additional 647,987 shares during the last quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 934,732 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $173,411,000 after acquiring an additional 8,283 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CSM Advisors LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter worth about $1,180,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $161.96 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.25, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.62. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a 52-week low of $156.60 and a 52-week high of $220.32.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter. The firm's revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 10.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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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