Fifth Third Bancorp Sells 29,546 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Fifth Third Bancorp cut its stake in Marsh & McLennan by 18%, selling 29,546 shares and leaving it with 134,772 shares worth about $25.0 million at the end of the quarter.
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares for roughly $3.05 million on March 4, reducing his ownership by 12.48% (company insiders own 0.38% overall).
• Marsh & McLennan beat quarterly EPS estimates with $3.29 and reported $7.30 billion in revenue (+7.6% y/y), and it declared a $0.90 quarterly dividend (annualized $3.60, ~2.2% yield).

Fifth Third Bancorp decreased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 18.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 134,772 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 29,546 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $25,003,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter worth $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth $29,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter worth $30,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter worth $32,000. Finally, City Holding Co. bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $166.38 on Friday. 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, Inc. has a 1-year low of $164.89 and a 1-year high of $235.78. The company has a market capitalization of $80.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.80, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.65. The firm's fifty day moving average is $173.42.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter. The firm's revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.00%.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.38% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on MRSH shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target 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. Mizuho reduced their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $205.33.

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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