Levin Capital Strategies L.P. Invests $10.73 Million in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Levin Capital Strategies L.P. acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 61,866 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $10,731,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Solstein Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on MRSH. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. UBS Group increased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $201.69.

Key Headlines Impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Marsh & McLennan beat second-quarter earnings expectations, reporting $2.96 EPS versus consensus around $2.89, with revenue of $7.28 billion. The beat was driven by strength in Consulting and Risk & Insurance Services, which supports the view that core demand remains healthy. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on MRSH from $186 to $188, and Mizuho increased its target from $197 to $201. Those higher targets suggest analysts still see upside from current levels, even though both firms kept relatively cautious ratings. Article Title Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several analysts remained cautious despite the earnings beat: Citigroup downgraded the stock from buy to neutral, and William Blair maintained a Hold view. That signals the results were solid, but not enough to fully reset valuation concerns. Article Title Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Management’s earnings call highlighted both growth and challenges, implying that while operating trends are improving, investors are still weighing execution and margin outlook. Article Title

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the business’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 owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 2.9%

Shares of MRSH stock opened at $176.27 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $156.60 and a 12-month high of $213.80. The company has a market cap of $85.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.67% and a net margin of 14.24%.The business had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders 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 is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is 44.01%.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.