NewEdge Wealth LLC Takes Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

NewEdge Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 2,881 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $500,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Solstein Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRSH has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Bank of America lowered their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price 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. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Mizuho upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average 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 dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was 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 trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Lloyd M. Yates sold 12,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.65, for a total value of $2,107,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 12,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,107,975.65. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.38% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 4.9%

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $192.28 on Wednesday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $156.60 and a 12-month high of $213.80. The company has a market cap of $91.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.51, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.61. The company’s 50 day moving average is $171.78. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 business had revenue of $7.28 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.24% and a return on equity of 32.67%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be issued a $0.99 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. This is an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is currently 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.