Levin Capital Strategies L.P. bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH – Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 61,866 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $10,731,000.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.5% in 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 buying an additional 11,648 shares in the last quarter. Essex LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter worth about $2,891,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 20.6% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 88,934 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $16,499,000 after buying an additional 15,166 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% during the 4th 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 during the period. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its stake in 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 worth $6,549,000 after acquiring an additional 7,418 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies
In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.
Trending Headlines about Marsh & McLennan Companies
- 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
Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 2.9%
Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $176.27 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $85.16 billion, a PE ratio of 21.55, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.14. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $156.60 and a twelve month high of $213.80.
Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. The company’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 earnings per share 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 paid a $0.99 dividend. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. This is a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 44.01%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several brokerages recently issued reports on MRSH. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Piper Sandler decreased 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 report on Tuesday, May 26th. Citigroup downgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 target price for the company. in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $201.69.
Read Our Latest Analysis on MRSH
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.
See Also
- Five stocks we like better than Marsh & McLennan Companies
- Could Truth API Become Trump Media’s First Meaningful Revenue Driver?
- Small Caps Are Crushing the S&P 500—3 Stocks Still Worth Buying
- Moog Is More Than a Missile Maker, and Wall Street Is Noticing
- A Boring Dividend Growth Strategy Becomes a Solid Defensive Play
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MRSH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Marsh & McLennan Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Marsh & McLennan Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
