The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Boosts Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 3.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,572,947 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 46,720 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $272,828,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,856,000 after buying an additional 2,960 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC grew its position 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 worth $651,000 after acquiring an additional 869 shares in the last quarter. Glenview Trust co increased 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 valued at $852,000 after acquiring an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% during the second quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 927 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $203,000 after purchasing an additional 922 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter worth about $1,307,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of MRSH stock opened at $183.29 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The stock has a market cap of $87.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $156.60 and a 1-year high of $213.80.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.67% and a net margin of 14.24%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.41 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.99 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a 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 (DPR) is currently 48.41%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $216.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $201.94.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value of $2,693,441.76. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,889,506.81. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.