Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) Stock

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) had its target price hoisted by stock analysts at Barclays from $206.00 to $210.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Barclays‘s price target suggests a potential upside of 12.36% from the stock’s previous close.

MMC has been the topic of several other research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $191.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Wolfe Research began coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Tuesday, September 16th. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, October 31st. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $222.41.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

MMC stock traded up $4.00 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $186.90. 2,307,956 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,385,644. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $91.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.41, a PEG ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.76. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $182.85 and a 200 day moving average price of $196.76. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a 12 month low of $174.18 and a 12 month high of $248.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.78 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.79% and a net margin of 15.60%.The company had revenue of $6.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.34 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.63 EPS. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate 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 21,079 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.22, for a total transaction of $3,841,015.38. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 87,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,977,231.82. The trade was a 19.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Marsh & McLennan Companies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MMC. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 363.3% in the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 139 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Delos Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter worth $32,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.