Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Price Target Raised to $188.00

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) had its target price increased by stock analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $186.00 to $188.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “equal weight” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 6.78% from the stock’s current price.

MRSH has been the subject of a number of other reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Piper Sandler cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Barclays decreased their price target on 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $201.69.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 3.0%

NYSE MRSH traded down $5.52 on Wednesday, hitting $176.07. 1,238,822 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,932,466. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a twelve month low of $156.60 and a twelve month high of $213.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $85.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.02, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%. On average, analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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 insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $8,643,309,000 after buying an additional 387,100 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth $3,140,284,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth $2,967,927,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Key Marsh & McLennan Companies News

Here are the key news stories impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MRSH reported Q2 earnings of $2.96 per share, topping estimates, with revenue of $7.28 billion and growth driven by consulting plus Risk & Insurance Services. Marsh (MRSH) Q2 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: One analyst note argued the company remains a buy after Q2, suggesting the quarter supports the longer-term investment case. Marsh & McLennan: Maintaining My ‘Buy’ Recommendation Following Q2 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: William Blair kept a neutral stance, saying Q2 was solid and growth is stabilizing, but valuation still looks expensive. Marsh & McLennan: Solid Q2 and Stabilizing Growth, But Valuation Keeps Analyst Firm at Hold
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup downgraded MRSH from buy to neutral, but still raised the price target to $200, implying some upside from current levels. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Investors appear focused on valuation and slower growth outlook in the earnings call commentary, which may be capping enthusiasm after the beat. Marsh & McLennan Earnings Call Highlights Growth, Challenges

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.