Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Hits New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday. The company traded as high as $199.59 and last traded at $199.2440, with a volume of 3,054,195 shares. The stock had previously closed at $190.56.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $215.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $191.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. Mizuho boosted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $180.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $216.00 to $222.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $204.42.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 1.09. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $181.40. The company has a market cap of $94.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.59.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.03 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.96 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 33.32% and a net margin of 14.20%. The business had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter. The company’s revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.46 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 1st will be given a $0.99 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 1st. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 47.37%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, SVP Paul Beswick sold 713 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.00, for a total transaction of $141,174.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 16,376 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,242,448. This trade represents a 4.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Martin South sold 7,100 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.99, for a total value of $1,348,929.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 16,632 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,159,913.68. This represents a 29.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MRSH. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 9,612 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,701,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 37.7% in the third quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 219 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 5.3% in the first quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 1,452 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $252,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 12.6% in the first quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 668 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $116,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. Finally, Kintegral Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.6% during the third quarter. Kintegral Advisory LLC now owns 14,387 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,456,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

Marsh & McLennan Companies is a global professional services firm that provides advice and solutions in risk, strategy and people. The company serves businesses, governments and institutions through a portfolio of specialized businesses focused on insurance brokerage, reinsurance, consulting and talent management.

Its principal businesses include Marsh, an insurance brokerage and risk advisory firm; Guy Carpenter, a provider of reinsurance brokerage and related risk-management services; Mercer, which offers consulting in investment, retirement, health and workforce strategy; and Oliver Wyman, a management consulting firm serving clients across industries and regions.

Founded in 1905, Marsh & McLennan serves clients in countries and markets around the world.