Wells Fargo & Company Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) Stock

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) had its target price boosted by Wells Fargo & Company from $212.00 to $223.00 in a report published on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on MMC. Barclays increased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $236.00 to $246.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $242.00 to $250.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $219.00 to $222.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $214.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $229.40.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

MMC stock opened at $216.90 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $217.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $221.40. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a 12-month low of $190.41 and a 12-month high of $235.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The company has a market cap of $106.52 billion, a PE ratio of 26.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.96.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.87 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.75 by $0.12. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.65% and a net margin of 16.82%. As a group, research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 8.67 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.815 per share. This represents a $3.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 30th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is currently 40.15%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 85.7% in the third quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 130 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Albion Financial Group UT acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company Profile

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services.