Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Price Target Raised to $201.00 at Mizuho

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) had its price target raised by Mizuho from $197.00 to $201.00 in a report issued on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on MRSH. Citigroup cut shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 price target for the company. in a report on Wednesday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of 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. Barclays dropped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. 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 note on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Bank of America lowered their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $201.69.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 2.9%

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.67% and a net margin of 14.24%.Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 10.36 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.99 per share. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. This is a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 44.01%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Procyon Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 2,279 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $423,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 1,758 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $326,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,673 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $306,000 after buying an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 8,337 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,823,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MMA Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. MMA Asset Management LLC now owns 4,083 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $757,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Marsh & McLennan Companies News

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

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.