Fifth Third Bancorp Acquires Shares of 223,674 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Fifth Third Bancorp bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 223,674 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $38,796,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% during the fourth 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 bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,140,284,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $2,967,927,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRSH has been the subject of a number of research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $200.44.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $178.52 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $86.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.32, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $156.60 and a 52 week high of $216.32.

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 the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. The company’s revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.99 per share. This is a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 45.00%.

Key Stories Impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target on Marsh & McLennan to $218 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling strong upside expectations. Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Given New $218.00 Price Target at Cantor Fitzgerald
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho also lifted its price target to $197, keeping a neutral rating, which still reflects a more favorable valuation view. Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Price Target Raised to $197.00 at Mizuho
• Positive Sentiment: UBS maintained its buy rating on Marsh & McLennan, reinforcing a broadly positive analyst stance on the shares. UBS Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Marsh & McLennan Companies (MRSH)
• Positive Sentiment: Marsh & McLennan increased its quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.99 per share, highlighting strong cash generation and shareholder-friendly capital allocation. Marsh Raises Dividend: Is Its Capital Return Story Getting Stronger?
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also declared the dividend formally for shareholders of record on July 23, which confirms the payout timing but is not a new catalyst. Marsh & McLennan Companies dividend announcement

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

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.