Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) Shares Down 4.7% - Should You Sell?

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) shares fell 4.7% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $220.08 and last traded at $219.23. 390,213 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 80% from the average session volume of 1,919,667 shares. The stock had previously closed at $230.01.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on MMC shares. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $246.00 to $249.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $223.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 21st. UBS Group increased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $259.00 to $261.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic began coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Tuesday, March 25th. They set a "buy" rating and a $281.00 price target for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $241.93.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

The business's 50 day moving average price is $227.76 and its 200-day moving average price is $225.73. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. The company has a market cap of $109.69 billion, a PE ratio of 27.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.83.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.02 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $6.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.08 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 16.60% and a return on equity of 32.60%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.89 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 3rd were given a dividend of $0.815 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 3rd. This represents a $3.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.46%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.95%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, SVP Paul Beswick sold 2,237 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.00, for a total transaction of $550,302.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 13,522 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,326,412. The trade was a 14.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Dean Michael Klisura sold 9,569 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $245.00, for a total transaction of $2,344,405.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 20,935 shares in the company, valued at $5,129,075. This trade represents a 31.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 61,196 shares of company stock worth $14,262,309. 0.35% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Accent Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Knuff & Co LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Activest Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of 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 worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $37,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.

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