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

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the nineteen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have assigned a hold recommendation and eight have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $218.8235.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on MMC. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $200.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $191.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $199.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, October 31st.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $182.39 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $183.76 and a 200-day moving average of $193.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $89.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.12. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a 52 week low of $174.18 and a 52 week high of $248.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 29th will be issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 29th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 43.17%.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.22, for a total transaction of $3,841,015.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 87,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,977,231.82. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Novem Group increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 38.3% in the fourth quarter. Novem Group now owns 5,464 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,014,000 after buying an additional 1,512 shares during the period. Osborne Partners Capital Management LLC increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Osborne Partners Capital Management LLC now owns 78,816 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $14,622,000 after purchasing an additional 1,454 shares during the period. Smith Salley Wealth Management raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Smith Salley Wealth Management now owns 5,521 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,024,000 after purchasing an additional 237 shares during the last quarter. Journey Advisory Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 23.6% in the 4th quarter. Journey Advisory Group LLC now owns 2,224 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $444,000 after purchasing an additional 424 shares during the period. Finally, Busey Bank boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 11.7% in the 4th quarter. Busey Bank now owns 1,346 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $250,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.