Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) Sees Large Volume Increase After Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) saw an uptick in trading volume on Monday after Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on the stock from $212.00 to $214.00. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods currently has an underperform rating on the stock. 716,789 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 49% from the previous session's volume of 1,413,938 shares.The stock last traded at $209.65 and had previously closed at $209.11.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Roth Mkm boosted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $211.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $219.00 to $222.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "sector perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and increased their price target for the company from $242.00 to $250.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $248.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $228.60.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, Director Oscar Fanjul sold 2,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.55, for a total value of $553,875.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 48,549 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,756,030.95. This represents a 4.90 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MMC. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. increased its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $41,000. Bangor Savings Bank bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 390.9% in the second quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 270 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $57,000 after buying an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $103.94 billion, a PE ratio of 26.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $219.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $221.13.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.63 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.02. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 16.82% and a return on equity of 32.65%. The company had revenue of $5.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.71 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.57 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 8.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.