Barclays Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Stock Price

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSHGet Free Report) had its target price dropped by analysts at Barclays from $209.00 to $206.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Barclays‘s price target points to a potential upside of 18.96% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on MRSH. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $200.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Evercore lowered their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Mizuho reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $199.00 price objective (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, February 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $208.38.

Read Our Latest Report on MRSH

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

MRSH stock opened at $173.16 on Wednesday. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a fifty-two week low of $164.89 and a fifty-two week high of $239.34. The stock has a market cap of $83.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.75. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $173.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSHGet Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.The firm’s revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.87 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Numerai GP LLC raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 966.2% in the 3rd quarter. Numerai GP LLC now owns 37,220 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $7,501,000 after purchasing an additional 33,729 shares during the period. Rockland Trust Co. grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 801.6% during the third quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 12,073 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,433,000 after purchasing an additional 10,734 shares during the period. Barclays PLC increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 41.7% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,202,372 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $443,844,000 after buying an additional 647,987 shares in the last quarter. Navera Investment Management Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 7.0% in the third quarter. Navera Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,623,960 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $327,303,000 after buying an additional 105,954 shares during the period. Finally, Bridges Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 76,196 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $15,356,000 after buying an additional 3,177 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies News Roundup

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company Profile

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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.

Further Reading

Analyst Recommendations for Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH)

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