Paul Beswick Sells 713 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Stock

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) SVP Paul Beswick sold 713 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $198.00, for a total value of $141,174.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 16,376 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,242,448. The trade was a 4.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $189.89 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The company has a market cap of $90.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.21, a P/E/G ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.61. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $156.60 and a 52 week high of $213.80. The business has a 50-day moving average of $173.23.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.67% and a net margin of 14.24%.The firm had revenue of $7.28 billion for the quarter. The company’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.43 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be issued 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 of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

Institutional Trading of Marsh & McLennan Companies

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. PFG Investments LLC raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 1,758 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $326,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 8,337 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,823,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. MMA Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. MMA Asset Management LLC now owns 4,083 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $757,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 5.2% during the 4th quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC now owns 1,449 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $269,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Continuum Advisory LLC boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 5.3% in the first quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 1,452 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $252,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Mizuho boosted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Citigroup lowered Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $201.94.

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.