37,603 Shares in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Purchased by B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG acquired 37,603 Marsh & McLennan shares worth approximately $6.27 million. Institutional investors collectively own 87.99% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with the stock holding a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $203.50; recent targets range from $200 to $218.
• Marsh & McLennan beat quarterly earnings expectations with $2.96 in EPS and $7.28 billion in revenue, while raising its quarterly dividend to $0.99 per share, or a 2.1% annualized yield.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 37,603 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $6,267,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted 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 worth $8,643,309,000 after acquiring an additional 387,100 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter valued at $6,583,806,000. State Street Corp purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $3,482,557,000. Finally, Capital World Investors purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,140,284,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on MRSH shares. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $216.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Citigroup cut Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. One equities research 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 assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $203.50.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $192.17 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $179.88. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $156.60 and a 1-year high of $212.65. The firm has a market cap of $91.71 billion, a PE ratio of 23.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 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 - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 for the quarter. The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.99 per share. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 23rd. This is an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related 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 transaction, the insider owned 16,632 shares in the company, 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 SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Paul Beswick sold 713 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were 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 owned 16,376 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,242,448. The trade was a 4.17% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 36,469 shares of company stock valued at $6,291,345. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by company 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.

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