Barclays Cuts Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Price Target to $209.00

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) had its price target lowered by Barclays from $210.00 to $209.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Mizuho reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $199.00 target price (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, February 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $203.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $216.12.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of MRSH opened at $170.98 on Wednesday. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a fifty-two week low of $170.37 and a fifty-two week high of $248.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $82.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.74. 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 (NYSE:MRSH) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 31.60%. The firm had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.87 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities 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. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 42.70%.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Marsh & McLennan Companies

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. PEAK6 LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $3,250,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $42,968,000. Union Savings Bank bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $106,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $211,804,000. Finally, Storen Legacy Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $1,577,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.