Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Reaches New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday. The company traded as high as $202.18 and last traded at $200.6620, with a volume of 131,933 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $197.03.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Mizuho upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $180.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $216.00 to $222.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $193.00 to $188.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $204.42.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $95.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.87, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $182.17.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.96 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 33.32% and a net margin of 14.20%. The company had revenue of $6.86 billion for the quarter. The firm’s revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be given a $0.99 dividend. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 1st. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is currently 47.37%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, VP Stacy Mills sold 1,215 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $243,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 2,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $541,000. This represents a 30.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO Dean Klisura sold 4,194 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $838,800.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 20,935 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,187,000. The trade was a 16.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Asset Dedication LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Canton Hathaway LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. EFG International AG bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter worth about $35,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company Profile

Marsh & McLennan Companies is a global professional services firm that provides advice and solutions in risk, strategy and people. The company serves businesses, governments and institutions through a portfolio of specialized businesses focused on insurance brokerage, reinsurance, consulting and talent management.

Its principal businesses include Marsh, an insurance brokerage and risk advisory firm; Guy Carpenter, a provider of reinsurance brokerage and related risk-management services; Mercer, which offers consulting in investment, retirement, health and workforce strategy; and Oliver Wyman, a management consulting firm serving clients across industries and regions.

Founded in 1905, Marsh & McLennan serves clients in countries and markets around the world.