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Can Marsh & McLennan (MMC) Deliver a Beat in Q2 Earnings?

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Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (MMC - Free Report) will release second-quarter 2018 results on Jul 26, before the market opens. Last reported quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 6.15%, backed by higher segmental revenues.

Let’s see, how things are shaping up prior to this announcement.

The company’s second-quarter results are expected to benefit from increased revenues, likely to be in the range of 3-5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for net operating revenues in the to-be-reported quarter is pegged at $3.7 billion, reflecting 6.3% year-over-year growth.

The Risk and Insurance Services segment has likely kept the past few quarters’ trend intact wherein it has grown on the back of strategic acquisitions. The consensus estimate for this segment’s revenues is pegged at $2.05, representing a 7.1% increase year over year. However, the segmental margin might have suffered because of tough expense comparisons.

The Consulting segment has also been contributing to the company’s revenue base over the last few quarters and is expected to maintain the trend in the second quarter as well. The consensus mark for revenues from this segment stands at $1.6 billion, up 4.7% year over year.  
Lower tax incidence is likely to favor the company’s earnings this quarter to be reported.

The company expects the corporate expense for the second quarter to be $45 million. Also, an interest expense of $67 million is assumed to have been incurred.

Also, the forex volatility is might keep the margins stressed.

The company has probably been consistent with its active capital deployment through share repurchase, which should provide an extra cushion to its bottom line.

What the Quantitative Model States

Per our proven model, Marsh & McLennan is likely to beat on earnings this quarter to be reported. This is because the stock has the right combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a favorable Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen.

Earnings ESP: Marsh & McLennan has an Earnings ESP of +0.76%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: Marsh & McLennan carries a Zacks Rank #3, which increases the predictive power of ESP. Further, combined with a positive ESP, which indicates a likely earnings surprise, chances of an earnings beat are pegged significantly higher.

Conversely, the Sell-rated stocks (#4 or 5) should never be considered going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.

Other Stocks to Consider

Other stocks worth considering from the insurance brokerage industry with the right combination of elements to also surpass estimates this time around include the following:

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG - Free Report) is set to report second-quarter earnings on Jul 26 and has an Earnings ESP of +0.63%. The company is a Zacks #3 Ranked player. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Aon plc (AON - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +0.23% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The company is set to announce second-quarter earnings on Jul 27.

Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company has an Earnings ESP of +0.53% and is a Zacks #3 Ranked stock. The company is set to announce second-quarter earnings on Aug 2.

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