Erste Group Bank Upgrades Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) to Strong-Buy

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) was upgraded by research analysts at Erste Group Bank to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, Zacks reports.

A number of other analysts have also commented on MRSH. Weiss Ratings raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Citigroup downgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $203.50.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

NYSE MRSH opened at $177.08 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $84.50 billion, a PE ratio of 21.65, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.58. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a 1 year low of $156.60 and a 1 year high of $207.82. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $185.85. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. The company 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% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 10.44 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, insider Martin South sold 7,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.99, for a total value of $1,348,929.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 16,632 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,159,913.68. This trade represents a 29.92% 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. Also, Director Lloyd M. Yates sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.65, for a total value of $2,107,800.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 12,001 shares in the company, valued at $2,107,975.65. The trade was a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 19,813 shares of company stock worth $3,597,903. Insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MRSH. California State Teachers Retirement System grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 16,707.0% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 122,656,786 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $20,443,207,000 after acquiring an additional 121,926,988 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,153,000. Daiichi Life Insurance Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $3,880,000. Korea Investment CORP acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter worth $46,856,000. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at $20,681,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

Marsh & McLennan Companies, now operating under the name Marsh McLennan, is a global professional services firm that helps organizations manage risk, strategy and people-related challenges. Its businesses serve corporations, governments, institutional investors and other organizations across a broad range of industries and geographies.

The company’s principal businesses include Marsh, an insurance brokerage and risk advisory firm; Guy Carpenter, which provides reinsurance brokerage and related risk management services; Mercer, which offers consulting in areas such as talent, health, retirement and investments; and Oliver Wyman, a management consulting firm.