Jupiter Topco LLC Invests $33.76 Million in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor bought 202,645 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $33,762,000.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth about $6,583,806,000. State Street Corp bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,140,284,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,967,927,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 1.5%

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $192.90 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $156.60 and a 12-month high of $207.82. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $182.75. The company has a market cap of $92.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.58, a PEG ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.59.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $7.28 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.24% and a return on equity of 32.67%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side 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 firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd were issued a $0.99 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 23rd. This is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MRSH. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price 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. Citigroup lowered shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $203.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Martin South sold 7,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.99, for a total transaction of $1,348,929.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 16,632 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,159,913.68. The trade was a 29.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Paul Beswick sold 713 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $198.00, for a total transaction of $141,174.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president 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 sold a total of 36,469 shares of company stock valued at $6,291,345 over the last quarter. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies 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.