NewEdge Advisors LLC Lowers Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

NewEdge Advisors LLC decreased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 15.2% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 54,705 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 9,794 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $9,489,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. State Street Corp bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $3,140,284,000. Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,967,927,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,710,101,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on MRSH. UBS Group increased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $216.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $201.94.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Martin South sold 7,100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.99, for a total transaction of $1,348,929.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 16,632 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,159,913.68. This represents a 29.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value of $2,693,441.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 36,469 shares of company stock valued at $6,291,345. 0.38% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of MRSH opened at $191.31 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The stock has a market cap of $91.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.59. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $156.60 and a fifty-two week high of $213.80. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $175.15.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.24% and a return on equity of 32.67%. The company had revenue of $7.28 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a $0.99 dividend. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.41%.

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.