Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management Makes New Investment in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund purchased 4,520 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $784,000.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in MRSH. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MRSH. Citigroup upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. UBS Group increased their price target 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. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $200.81.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 3.4%

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $182.22 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $88.03 billion, a PE ratio of 22.78, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.61. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $156.60 and a 1 year high of $216.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities 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 firm also recently announced 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. 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 a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is 45.00%.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.