Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) Reaches New 52-Week High - Should You Buy?

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $246.53 and last traded at $243.58, with a volume of 182371 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $242.83.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MMC has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $214.00 to $210.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased 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. Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "sector perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $242.00 to $250.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Redburn Atlantic began coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $281.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Raymond James reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $250.00 price objective (up previously from $240.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $233.41.

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Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $110.22 billion, a PE ratio of 27.30, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.13. The stock's 50-day moving average is $232.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $224.50.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.75 by $0.12. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.60% and a net margin of 16.60%. On average, equities analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.815 per share. This represents a $3.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 3rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is currently 39.80%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO Nicholas Mark Studer sold 49,390 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.16, for a total transaction of $11,367,602.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 28,329 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,520,202.64. The trade was a 63.55 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP Stacy Mills sold 1,317 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.97, for a total value of $309,455.49. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 2,923 shares of the company's stock, valued at $686,817.31. This trade represents a 31.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 67,397 shares of company stock valued at $15,694,684 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 32,120.9% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,515,670 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $369,869,000 after purchasing an additional 1,510,966 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 32.0% in the 1st quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 437 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $107,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.7% in the first quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 12,488 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,047,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 69.6% in the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,260 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $307,000 after acquiring an additional 517 shares during the period. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.3% in the first quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 3,927 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $958,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.