Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the eighteen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have given a hold recommendation and six have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $238.7647.

A number of research analysts have issued reports on MMC shares. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 18th. Citigroup started coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $226.00 target price for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $256.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $249.00 to $233.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 7th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.65, for a total transaction of $4,334,896.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 87,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,031,597.65. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MMC. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,856,000 after buying an additional 2,960 shares during the period. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $37,178,000. Bison Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% during the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $651,000 after acquiring an additional 869 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $821,000. Finally, Waverly Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 234.9% during the fourth quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC now owns 4,538 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $964,000 after acquiring an additional 3,183 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $199.66 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a 12 month low of $195.01 and a 12 month high of $248.00. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $204.38 and a 200 day simple moving average of $218.28. The stock has a market cap of $98.16 billion, a PE ratio of 23.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.81.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 17th. The financial services provider reported $2.72 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.66 by $0.06. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.90% and a net margin of 16.00%.The business had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.92 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.41 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 2nd. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 43.17%.

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.