Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Upgraded to “Buy” at Citigroup

Citigroup upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Wednesday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have $200.00 price target on the financial services provider’s stock.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $205.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $167.30 on Wednesday. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a 12-month low of $164.89 and a 12-month high of $235.78. The company has a market capitalization of $80.60 billion, a PE ratio of 20.91, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.65. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $173.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The company had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. The firm’s revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.00%.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.38% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Marsh & McLennan Companies

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

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.