Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Upgraded at Citigroup

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) was upgraded by stock analysts at Citigroup from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage presently has a $200.00 price target on the financial services provider’s stock. Citigroup’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 19.54% from the company’s previous close.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on MRSH. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Evercore reduced their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $205.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:MRSH opened at $167.30 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a one year low of $164.89 and a one year high of $235.78. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $173.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $80.60 billion, a PE ratio of 20.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.65.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

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

Institutional Trading of Marsh & McLennan Companies

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.