Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) have earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the eighteen research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $201.6875.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup downgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Wednesday. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.3%

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $176.54 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $84.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.11. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a fifty-two week low of $156.60 and a fifty-two week high of $213.80.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.67% and a net margin of 14.24%.The company had revenue of $7.28 billion for the quarter. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 10.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a $0.99 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. This is a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 44.01%.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was 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. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.