Markel Group Inc. Buys 6,750 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Markel Group Inc. raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 0.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 761,750 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,750 shares during the period. Marsh & McLennan Companies accounts for 1.1% of Markel Group Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Markel Group Inc.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $141,320,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Numerai GP LLC increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 966.2% during the third quarter. Numerai GP LLC now owns 37,220 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $7,501,000 after acquiring an additional 33,729 shares in the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.5% during the fourth quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 134,542 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $24,960,000 after acquiring an additional 11,648 shares in the last quarter. Rockland Trust Co. increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 801.6% during the third quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 12,073 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,433,000 after acquiring an additional 10,734 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 41.7% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,202,372 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $443,844,000 after acquiring an additional 647,987 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bridges Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.4% during the third quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 76,196 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $15,356,000 after acquiring an additional 3,177 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of MRSH stock opened at $164.14 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $158.16 and a 52-week high of $235.78. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $168.09. The company has a market cap of $79.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.65.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th were paid a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 45.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRSH has been the subject of several recent research reports. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, nine have given 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 an average target price of $205.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.