UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Stock

Key Points

• UBS Group raised its price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies to $212 from $203 and kept a buy rating, implying about 18.7% upside from the current share price.
• Analyst views remain mixed overall: while Citi upgraded the stock to buy, several firms have lowered targets or maintained neutral/underperform ratings, and MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of “Hold” with an average target of $199.81.
• The company recently reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $3.29 beating estimates and revenue rising 7.6% year over year; however, CEO John Q. Doyle also sold shares in a pre-arranged transaction.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) had its price objective boosted by UBS Group from $203.00 to $212.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the financial services provider's stock. UBS Group's price objective suggests a potential upside of 18.66% from the stock's current price.

MRSH has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Weiss Ratings cut Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Citigroup raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America dropped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $199.81.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

NYSE MRSH traded up $0.67 on Wednesday, reaching $178.67. 1,117,684 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,963,601. 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 has a one year low of $156.60 and a one year high of $216.32. The stock has a market cap of $86.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.32, a PEG ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.61.

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, beating the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 10.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. Numerai GP LLC raised its position in 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 valued at $7,501,000 after acquiring an additional 33,729 shares in the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd lifted 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 purchasing an additional 11,648 shares during the period. Sarasin & Partners LLP grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 934,732 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $173,411,000 after buying an additional 8,283 shares during the period. CSM Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter worth about $1,180,000. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 26.4% during the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 136,179 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $27,444,000 after acquiring an additional 28,419 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

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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