NEOS Investment Management LLC Raises Stock Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

NEOS Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 11.9% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 78,716 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,356 shares during the period. NEOS Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $13,120,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on MRSH. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Citigroup downgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 target price for the company. in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $203.50.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, Director Lloyd M. Yates sold 12,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.65, for a total transaction of $2,107,800.00. Following the sale, the director owned 12,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,107,975.65. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Paul Beswick sold 713 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were 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 directly owned 16,376 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,242,448. The trade was a 4.17% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 19,813 shares of company stock valued at $3,597,903 in the last 90 days. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:MRSH opened at $185.80 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $185.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $88.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $156.60 and a one year high of $207.82.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.67% and a net margin of 14.24%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd were given a $0.99 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. This is a boost 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.