Bank of America Cuts Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Price Target to $174.00

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) had its price objective reduced by Bank of America from $181.00 to $174.00 in a report released on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an underperform rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on the company. Evercore dropped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $200.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Barclays dropped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Weiss Ratings began coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Thursday, January 29th. They set a “hold (c)” rating for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $205.13.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $175.20 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $84.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.78, a P/E/G ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a 52 week low of $164.89 and a 52 week high of $235.78. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $173.02.

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 42.70%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, 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 is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. State Street Corp purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,140,284,000. Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,967,927,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,710,101,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Marsh & McLennan Companies

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company promotes long‑serving CFO to a chief operating officer role, clarifying internal succession and management continuity; that reduces leadership uncertainty and can be viewed positively by investors. Marsh & McLennan Elevates CFO to COO Role
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and media are flagging Q1 earnings and succession planning as the primary short‑term catalysts — upcoming results and commentary will likely drive price action more than one‑off headlines. Marsh McLennan earnings in focus as succession planning unfolds
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre‑earnings primers outline key items investors should watch (revenue mix, underwriting trends, consulting demand and any mgmt commentary on capital allocation). These items explain why the stock can move on beats/misses. Marsh & McLennan (MRSH) reports Q1: Everything you need to know ahead of earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Shares came under pressure after a price‑target cut and an analyst downgrade, which signals some investor skepticism about near‑term upside and multiple compression. Marsh & McLennan Shares Slide After Target Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America reduced its price target and moved to an “underperform” view, highlighting downside risk relative to recent levels and providing a fresh negative datapoint for short‑term traders. BofA Lowers Price Target on MRSH

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.