Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) Plans Dividend Increase – $0.99 Per Share

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a dividend of 0.99 per share by the financial services provider on Friday, August 14th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. This is a 10.0% increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90.

Marsh & McLennan Companies has raised its dividend by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 15 years. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a dividend payout ratio of 34.7% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Marsh & McLennan Companies to earn $11.24 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $3.60 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 32.0%.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $178.87 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a 52-week low of $156.60 and a 52-week high of $216.32. The company has a market capitalization of $86.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.36, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The company had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 10.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $8,643,309,000 after purchasing an additional 387,100 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $3,140,284,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $2,967,927,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

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.