Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) has earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the nineteen analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $218.8235.

MMC has been the topic of several research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $191.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $199.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $258.00 to $257.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $200.00 to $195.00 in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.22, for a total transaction of $3,841,015.38. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 87,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,977,231.82. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Marsh & McLennan Companies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MMC. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,328,587,000. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 48,212.9% in the 2nd quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,629,187 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $574,845,000 after purchasing an additional 2,623,745 shares during the period. Soundwatch Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter worth $560,820,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 212.6% in the second quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,285,194 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $499,635,000 after buying an additional 1,554,114 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9,455.4% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,520,164 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $282,021,000 after acquiring an additional 1,504,255 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 1.7%

NYSE:MMC opened at $182.39 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $183.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $194.39. The company has a market cap of $89.35 billion, a PE ratio of 21.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.76. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a twelve month low of $174.18 and a twelve month high of $248.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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 is Thursday, January 29th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is currently 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.