Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the nineteen research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have issued a hold recommendation and eight have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $218.8235.

Several brokerages have recently commented on MMC. Citigroup cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $211.00 to $201.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $199.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $258.00 to $257.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $191.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.22, for a total value of $3,841,015.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 87,681 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,977,231.82. The trade was a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MMC. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter worth $25,000. City Holding Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 363.3% during the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 139 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 1.7%

Shares of NYSE:MMC opened at $182.39 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $183.70 and its 200 day moving average is $194.39. The stock has a market cap of $89.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.76. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a 52-week low of $174.18 and a 52-week high of $248.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 29th will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 29th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.17%.

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.