Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Trading Down 6% – Time to Sell?

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH)’s share price traded down 6% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $180.97 and last traded at $173.8620. 3,040,356 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 2% from the average session volume of 3,099,796 shares. The stock had previously closed at $185.00.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRSH has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $216.12.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 0.0%

The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $177.91. The company has a market cap of $84.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.74.

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 42.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

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.