Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Stock

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) had its target price raised by research analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $186.00 to $201.00 in a research report issued on Monday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “market perform” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ price objective would suggest a potential upside of 7.57% from the company’s current price.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $183.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $190.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $179.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $203.55.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRSH traded down $1.50 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $186.85. 351,347 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,807,292. The company has a market capitalization of $89.17 billion, a PE ratio of 22.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.09. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a 1-year low of $156.60 and a 1-year high of $198.49. The business has a 50-day moving average of $181.17.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.03 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 10.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Paul Beswick sold 713 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.00, for a total transaction of $141,174.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 16,376 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,242,448. This trade represents a 4.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Lloyd M. Yates sold 12,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.65, for a total value of $2,107,800.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 12,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,107,975.65. The trade was a 50.00% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 19,813 shares of company stock worth $3,597,903 over the last ninety days. 0.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,153,000. Daiichi Life Insurance Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth $3,880,000. Korea Investment CORP purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth $46,856,000. Bank of Nova Scotia bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at $20,681,000. Finally, Essex LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter valued at $2,891,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.