Conning Inc. bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH – Free Report) in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm bought 24,471 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $4,244,000.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter worth about $3,306,000. Independence Bank of Kentucky bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $123,000. Relyea Zuckerberg Hanson LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $2,927,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 1st quarter valued at $95,000. Finally, Stiles Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter worth $260,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on MRSH shares. Bank of America reduced their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Citigroup upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $200.44.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance
NYSE MRSH opened at $178.52 on Friday. 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, Inc. has a twelve month low of $156.60 and a twelve month high of $216.32. The stock has a market cap of $86.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.32, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.61.
Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current year.
Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.99 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is 45.00%.
Key Stories Impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies
Here are the key news stories impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target on Marsh & McLennan to $218 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling strong upside expectations. Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Given New $218.00 Price Target at Cantor Fitzgerald
- Positive Sentiment: Mizuho also lifted its price target to $197, keeping a neutral rating, which still reflects a more favorable valuation view. Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Price Target Raised to $197.00 at Mizuho
- Positive Sentiment: UBS maintained its buy rating on Marsh & McLennan, reinforcing a broadly positive analyst stance on the shares. UBS Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Marsh & McLennan Companies (MRSH)
- Positive Sentiment: Marsh & McLennan increased its quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.99 per share, highlighting strong cash generation and shareholder-friendly capital allocation. Marsh Raises Dividend: Is Its Capital Return Story Getting Stronger?
- Neutral Sentiment: The company also declared the dividend formally for shareholders of record on July 23, which confirms the payout timing but is not a new catalyst. Marsh & McLennan Companies dividend announcement
Marsh & McLennan Companies Profile
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.
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