Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) Upgraded to "Overweight" at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Key Points

• JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "neutral" rating to "overweight," with a new price target of $242.00, indicating a potential upside of 17.39% from its previous close.
• Other analysts have varied in their ratings, with Barclays lowering its price target to $221.00 and UBS Group setting a target at $257.00, while the consensus average target price is around $237.88.
• Marsh & McLennan reported strong earnings last quarter, exceeding analyst expectations with $2.72 earnings per share on revenues of $6.97 billion, reflecting a year-over-year revenue increase of 12.1%.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm presently has a $242.00 price objective on the financial services provider's stock, down from their prior price objective of $248.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s target price would suggest a potential upside of 17.39% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Barclays decreased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $233.00 to $221.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Tuesday, September 16th. They set a "peer perform" rating for the company. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $258.00 to $257.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $256.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Wednesday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $237.88.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $206.15 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $202.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $216.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $101.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.78, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.81. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a 12-month low of $195.01 and a 12-month high of $248.00.

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

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $205.65, for a total value of $4,334,896.35. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 87,681 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,031,597.65. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MMC. Accent Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Knuff & Co LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Activest Wealth Management grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2,775.0% during the first quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 115 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 363.3% in the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 139 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. 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.

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