Prosperity Consulting Group LLC Decreases Stock Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Prosperity Consulting Group LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 54.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,831 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 6,883 shares during the quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $1,011,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $3,140,284,000. Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $2,967,927,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth $1,710,101,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

MRSH stock opened at $182.20 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $88.02 billion, a PE ratio of 22.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $156.60 and a 52-week high of $213.80.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 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 paid a dividend of $0.99 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis 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 dividend payout ratio is currently 45.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRSH has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Citigroup upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $194.00 to $197.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $200.81.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the 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 transaction, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, 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 insiders.

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.