Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Given New $188.00 Price Target at Wells Fargo & Company

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) had its price target increased by Wells Fargo & Company from $186.00 to $188.00 in a report released on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

MRSH has been the topic of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings cut Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One investment 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, Marsh & McLennan Companies has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $201.69.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $176.27 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The company has a market cap of $85.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.61. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a 1-year low of $156.60 and a 1-year high of $213.80.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.67% and a net margin of 14.24%.The company had revenue of $7.28 billion for the quarter. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a $0.99 dividend. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is currently 44.01%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value of $2,693,441.76. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Marsh & McLennan Companies

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MRSH. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,856,000 after purchasing an additional 2,960 shares during the period. Bison Wealth LLC grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% in the 4th quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $651,000 after buying an additional 869 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Trust co raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.8% in the 2nd quarter. Glenview Trust co now owns 3,897 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $852,000 after acquiring an additional 379 shares during the period. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% during the 2nd quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 927 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $203,000 after acquiring an additional 922 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter valued at about $1,307,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies

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

• Positive Sentiment: Marsh & McLennan beat second-quarter earnings expectations, reporting $2.96 EPS versus consensus around $2.89, with revenue of $7.28 billion. The beat was driven by strength in Consulting and Risk & Insurance Services, which supports the view that core demand remains healthy. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on MRSH from $186 to $188, and Mizuho increased its target from $197 to $201. Those higher targets suggest analysts still see upside from current levels, even though both firms kept relatively cautious ratings. Article Title Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several analysts remained cautious despite the earnings beat: Citigroup downgraded the stock from buy to neutral, and William Blair maintained a Hold view. That signals the results were solid, but not enough to fully reset valuation concerns. Article Title Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Management’s earnings call highlighted both growth and challenges, implying that while operating trends are improving, investors are still weighing execution and margin outlook. Article Title

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.