Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI Buys New Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 11,001 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,908,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $8,643,309,000 after purchasing an additional 387,100 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $3,140,284,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $2,967,927,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 1.9%

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $181.67 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The stock has a market cap of $87.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $156.60 and a 52 week high of $216.32.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The company had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies's revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on MRSH. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Weiss Ratings lowered Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. 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 report on Monday, July 6th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. One investment 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $200.81.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MRSH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.