14,723 Shares in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Purchased by Equitable Holdings Inc.

Equitable Holdings Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 14,723 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,454,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MRSH. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth about $2,153,000. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.5% in the 4th 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. Daiichi Life Insurance Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,880,000. Korea Investment CORP purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $46,856,000. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth approximately $20,681,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $192.90 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $92.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.59. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $182.75. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $156.60 and a fifty-two week high of $207.82. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.24% and a return on equity of 32.67%. The business had revenue of $7.28 billion for the quarter. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd were given a $0.99 dividend. This is an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 23rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on MRSH shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $203.50.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, SVP Paul Beswick sold 713 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.00, for a total transaction of $141,174.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 16,376 shares in the company, valued at $3,242,448. This trade represents a 4.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Martin South sold 7,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.99, for a total value of $1,348,929.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 16,632 shares in the company, valued at $3,159,913.68. This trade represents a 29.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 36,469 shares of company stock worth $6,291,345. 0.38% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.