Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Stock Price

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) had its target price dropped by analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $206.00 to $200.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “market perform” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ price target suggests a potential upside of 15.55% from the company’s current price.

MRSH has been the topic of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings initiated coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Thursday, January 29th. They issued a “hold (c)” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Evercore cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $200.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $211.38.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

MRSH stock traded down $1.74 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $173.08. 692,958 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,097,428. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $175.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. The company has a market cap of $83.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.53, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.75. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a one year low of $164.89 and a one year high of $239.34.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.87 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 31.3% during the third quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 214 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% during the third quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 4,514 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $910,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC increased its position 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 buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.3% in the fourth 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. Finally, Lindenwold Advisors INC grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% in the third quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC now owns 14,994 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,022,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

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.