Analysts Set Marsh (NYSE:MRSH) Target Price at $207.38

Shares of Marsh (NYSE:MRSH) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the nine analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, one has issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $205.6250.

MRSH has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on Marsh from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on shares of Marsh from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Marsh in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup increased their target price on Marsh from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings initiated coverage on Marsh in a report on Thursday, January 29th. They set a “hold (c)” rating on the stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Solstein Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in Marsh in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Marsh during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in Marsh during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marsh Stock Down 1.2%

NYSE MRSH opened at $184.26 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $89.20 billion, a PE ratio of 21.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.74. Marsh has a 12 month low of $170.37 and a 12 month high of $248.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

Marsh (NYSE:MRSH) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.52 billion. Marsh had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 31.60%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.87 earnings per share.

Marsh Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Marsh’s dividend payout ratio is 42.70%.

Marsh Company Profile

Marsh is a global insurance broker and risk advisor that helps organizations assess, manage and transfer a broad range of risks. The firm provides insurance placement and broking services for commercial and public-sector clients as well as specialty solutions for families and high-net-worth individuals. Its work focuses on identifying exposures, designing risk-transfer strategies and securing coverage from insurers and reinsurers to protect clients’ assets and operations.

Services offered by Marsh include commercial property and casualty broking, cyber and professional-liability placement, employee benefits consulting, and industry-specific specialty lines such as marine, energy and construction.