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

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the seventeen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have given a hold recommendation, six have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $205.00.

MRSH has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Barclays lowered their target price 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. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America lowered their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $166.15 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $80.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.65. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a fifty-two week low of $162.85 and a fifty-two week high of $235.78. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $172.64.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 10.36 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.00%.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MRSH. Madison Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter worth approximately $61,733,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter worth approximately $366,000. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter worth approximately $2,838,000. Florida Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.8% in the first quarter. Florida Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,088 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $536,000 after acquiring an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Earned Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter worth approximately $539,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.