Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share for the quarter, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $7.40 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $181.82 on Tuesday. 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 has a 1 year low of $156.60 and a 1 year high of $213.80. The stock has a market cap of $87.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.99 per share. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. This is a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is currently 45.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have commented on MRSH. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus 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 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Marsh & McLennan Companies

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. Solstein Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.