Occidental Asset Management LLC Acquires Shares of 26,750 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Occidental Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 26,750 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $4,458,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MRSH. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth approximately $2,153,000. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd boosted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 11,648 shares during the period. Essex LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $2,891,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $8,643,309,000 after purchasing an additional 387,100 shares during the period. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 26.6% during the fourth quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 35,293 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $6,549,000 after purchasing an additional 7,418 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $184.41 on Tuesday. 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 company has a market cap of $88.00 billion, a PE ratio of 22.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.59. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $178.11. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $156.60 and a 1 year high of $213.80.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.24% and a return on equity of 32.67%. The business had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.99 per share. This is an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 23rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.41%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Martin South sold 7,100 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the insider directly owned 16,632 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,159,913.68. This trade represents a 29.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Lloyd M. Yates sold 12,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.65, for a total value of $2,107,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 12,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,107,975.65. The trade was a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 36,469 shares of company stock worth $6,291,345 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $216.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $201.94.

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.