Carnegie Investment Counsel Purchases Shares of 46,917 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Carnegie Investment Counsel opened a new position in Marsh & McLennan, buying 46,917 shares valued at about $8.14 million in the first quarter.
• The stock remains widely held by institutions, with hedge funds and other institutional investors owning 87.99% of shares, while CEO John Q. Doyle recently sold 16,656 shares in a pre-arranged transaction.
• Marsh & McLennan has been supported by mixed analyst views but recent dividend growth and earnings strength stand out: the company beat quarterly EPS estimates and raised its dividend 10% to $0.99 per share.

Carnegie Investment Counsel purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 46,917 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $8,138,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,856,000 after purchasing an additional 2,960 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% in the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $651,000 after buying an additional 869 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Trust co increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.8% in the 2nd quarter. Glenview Trust co now owns 3,897 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $852,000 after buying an additional 379 shares during the period. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% during the 2nd quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 927 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $203,000 after buying an additional 922 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,307,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America lowered their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Barclays lowered their price objective 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $200.44.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value of $2,693,441.76. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $18,889,506.81. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Marsh & McLennan Companies News

Here are the key news stories impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target on Marsh & McLennan to $218 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling strong upside expectations. Marsh & McLennan Companies NYSE: MRSH Given New $218.00 Price Target at Cantor Fitzgerald
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho also lifted its price target to $197, keeping a neutral rating, which still reflects a more favorable valuation view. Marsh & McLennan Companies NYSE: MRSH Price Target Raised to $197.00 at Mizuho
• Positive Sentiment: UBS maintained its buy rating on Marsh & McLennan, reinforcing a broadly positive analyst stance on the shares. UBS Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Marsh & McLennan Companies (MRSH)
• Positive Sentiment: Marsh & McLennan increased its quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.99 per share, highlighting strong cash generation and shareholder-friendly capital allocation. Marsh Raises Dividend: Is Its Capital Return Story Getting Stronger?
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also declared the dividend formally for shareholders of record on July 23, which confirms the payout timing but is not a new catalyst. Marsh & McLennan Companies dividend announcement

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of MRSH stock opened at $178.52 on Monday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $156.60 and a 1-year high of $216.32. The company has a market cap of $86.24 billion, a PE ratio of 22.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The business's revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

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

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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