Kentucky Retirement Systems Boosts Stock Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Kentucky Retirement Systems increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 46.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 45,308 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,321 shares during the period. Kentucky Retirement Systems’ holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $7,859,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,856,000 after buying an additional 2,960 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% in the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $651,000 after acquiring an additional 869 shares in the last quarter. Glenview Trust co lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.8% in the second quarter. Glenview Trust co now owns 3,897 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $852,000 after acquiring an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% in the 2nd quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 927 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $203,000 after purchasing an additional 922 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,307,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of MRSH opened at $197.56 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $156.60 and a 1-year high of $213.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $94.28 billion, a PE ratio of 24.15, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a fifty day moving average of $172.40.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $7.28 billion for the quarter. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.99 per share. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. This is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 48.41%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, insider Martin South sold 7,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.99, for a total value of $1,348,929.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 16,632 shares in the company, valued at $3,159,913.68. This represents a 29.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Lloyd M. Yates sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.65, for a total transaction of $2,107,800.00. Following the sale, the director owned 12,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,107,975.65. This represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 35,756 shares of company stock worth $6,150,171. 0.38% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently commented on MRSH. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Mizuho raised their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings cut Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on 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. One equities research 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, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average 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.