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

Key Points

• Seventeen brokerages give MRSH an average rating of Hold (1 sell, 10 hold, 5 buy, 1 strong buy) with an average 12‑month price target of $205.33.
• CEO John Q. Doyle executed an insider sale of 16,655 shares at $183.30 on March 4, reducing his stake by 12.48% (insiders own 0.38% of shares).
• Marsh & McLennan beat quarterly EPS estimates ($3.29 vs. $3.21), reported revenue up 7.6% to $7.30B, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.90 (annualized $3.60, yield 2.2%).

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Hold" from the seventeen brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have issued a hold recommendation, five have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $205.3333.

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barclays cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Raymond James Financial upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $225.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Mizuho cut their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of 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 document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.38% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MRSH. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Solstein Capital LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $166.38 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $80.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a one year low of $164.89 and a one year high of $235.78. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $173.42.

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 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.00%.

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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