Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) CEO John Doyle Sells 16,655 Shares of Stock

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) CEO John Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.0%

NYSE:MRSH traded up $0.07 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $184.91. The company had a trading volume of 1,989,759 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,050,292. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $170.37 and a 52-week high of $248.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $89.52 billion, a PE ratio of 21.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.74.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.The company’s revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.87 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.70%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MRSH. Storen Legacy Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,577,000. Bayban bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. EJMK Ventures LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $311,000. Finally, Reflection Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $89,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRSH has been the topic of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Barclays boosted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $216.18.

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.