Empowered Funds LLC Increases Stock Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC increased its Marsh & McLennan position by 20.5% in the first quarter, adding 6,052 shares to reach 35,578 shares valued at approximately $6.17 million. Institutional investors collectively own 87.99% of the company.
• Marsh & McLennan reported quarterly EPS of $2.96, beating estimates of $2.89, while revenue rose 6.2% year over year to $7.28 billion. The company also raised its quarterly dividend from $0.90 to $0.99 per share, implying a 2.1% annualized yield.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $201.94, despite some firms issuing overweight ratings. The stock opened at $189.89, below the consensus target.

Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 20.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,578 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 6,052 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $6,171,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of 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. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $201.94.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.8%

NYSE MRSH opened at $189.89 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $156.60 and a 12 month high of $213.80. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $173.23. The stock has a market cap of $90.62 billion, a PE ratio of 23.21, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share 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 during the quarter. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be paid 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, Director Lloyd M. Yates sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.65, for a total value of $2,107,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 12,001 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,107,975.65. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the business'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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 36,469 shares of company stock worth $6,291,345 over the last three months. 0.38% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.

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