Lombard Odier Asset Management Europe Ltd Acquires New Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Lombard Odier Asset Management Europe Ltd bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund bought 84,056 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $14,580,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.5% during the 4th quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 134,542 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $24,960,000 after purchasing an additional 11,648 shares in the last quarter. Essex LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter worth $2,891,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 20.6% during the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 88,934 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $16,499,000 after buying an additional 15,166 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $8,643,309,000 after buying an additional 387,100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 26.6% in the fourth quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 35,293 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $6,549,000 after buying an additional 7,418 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, insider Martin South sold 7,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.99, for a total value of $1,348,929.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 16,632 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,159,913.68. This represents a 29.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value 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. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 36,469 shares of company stock worth $6,291,345 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of MRSH stock opened at $189.89 on Monday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $156.60 and a 12 month high of $213.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $90.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.21, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.59. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $173.23.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.28 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.24% and a return on equity of 32.67%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.99 per share. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. This is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 48.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on MRSH. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $201.94.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company 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.