UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) Stock

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) had its price objective increased by investment analysts at UBS Group from $259.00 to $261.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. UBS Group’s price objective points to a potential upside of 14.19% from the stock’s current price.

MMC has been the topic of a number of other reports. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $223.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the company from $242.00 to $250.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Raymond James reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective (up from $240.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic began coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Tuesday, March 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $281.00 price target for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $234.65.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

NYSE:MMC opened at $228.56 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a 52 week low of $196.17 and a 52 week high of $248.00. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $232.63 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $224.55. The stock has a market cap of $112.66 billion, a PE ratio of 27.91, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.85.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.12. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 16.60% and a return on equity of 32.60%. As a group, analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 9.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO Dean Michael Klisura sold 7,121 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.97, for a total transaction of $1,673,221.37. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 20,935 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,919,096.95. This represents a 25.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP Stacy Mills sold 1,317 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.97, for a total value of $309,455.49. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 2,923 shares in the company, valued at approximately $686,817.31. This trade represents a 31.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 69,634 shares of company stock valued at $16,244,986. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MMC. Modera Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,885 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $400,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,324 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $281,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 6.7% during the fourth quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 768 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $163,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the period. DF Dent & Co. Inc. lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. DF Dent & Co. Inc. now owns 5,762 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,224,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the period. Finally, New England Professional Planning Group Inc. boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. New England Professional Planning Group Inc. now owns 1,261 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $268,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services.