Insider Selling: Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) SVP Sells $141,174.00 in Stock

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) SVP Paul Beswick sold 713 shares of the business’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 directly owned 16,376 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,242,448. This trade represents a 4.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $189.89 on Monday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $156.60 and a 12-month high of $213.80. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $173.23. The company has a market cap of $90.62 billion, a PE ratio of 23.21, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued 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. 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 during the quarter. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is 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 payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on MRSH shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Barclays reduced their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $201.94.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd raised its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.5% during the 4th quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 134,542 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $24,960,000 after buying an additional 11,648 shares during the last quarter. Essex LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter worth about $2,891,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 20.6% during the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 88,934 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $16,499,000 after acquiring an additional 15,166 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% in 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 acquiring an additional 387,100 shares during the period. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 26.6% in the 4th quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 35,293 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $6,549,000 after purchasing an additional 7,418 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% 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.