Morgan Stanley Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Stock

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) had its price target boosted by research analysts at Morgan Stanley from $180.00 to $200.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “equal weight” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price suggests a potential upside of 7.25% from the company’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on MRSH. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $216.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Citigroup downgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 price target for the company. in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $203.50.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:MRSH opened at $186.49 on Wednesday. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a one year low of $156.60 and a one year high of $213.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $88.99 billion, a PE ratio of 22.80, a PEG ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $178.52.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.67% and a net margin of 14.24%.The company had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 10.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, Director Lloyd M. Yates sold 12,000 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.65, for a total transaction of $2,107,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 12,001 shares in the company, valued at $2,107,975.65. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Paul Beswick sold 713 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 16,376 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,242,448. This represents a 4.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 36,469 shares of company stock worth $6,291,345. 0.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at about $6,583,806,000. State Street Corp purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,140,284,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,967,927,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.