1,193,291 Shares in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Acquired by DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale

Key Points

• DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale added a major new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, buying 1,193,291 shares worth about $211.8 million and owning 0.25% of the company at quarter-end.
• Marsh & McLennan’s latest earnings beat expectations, with EPS of $3.29 versus consensus of $3.21 and revenue rising 7.6% year over year to $7.3 billion.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.99 per share from $0.90, while analysts’ overall view remains Hold with an average price target of $200.81.

DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 1,193,291 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $211,798,000. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale owned 0.25% of Marsh & McLennan Companies at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Solstein Capital LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer 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 filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MRSH. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 6th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, 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 research note on Friday, April 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $200.81.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

MRSH stock opened at $182.20 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $156.60 and a 1 year high of $213.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $88.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be issued a $0.99 dividend. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. This is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio is currently 45.00%.

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.

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