Geneos Wealth Management Inc. Purchases Shares of 30,247 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Geneos Wealth Management bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter, purchasing 30,247 shares valued at about $5.25 million.
• Wall Street’s view remains mixed: analysts have a consensus Hold rating on MRSH, with an average price target of $200.81, though several firms recently adjusted their targets upward or downward.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $3.29 per share and also raised its dividend to $0.99 per share, equal to an annualized yield of about 2.2%.

Geneos Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 30,247 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $5,246,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $104,000. MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $450,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter worth $15,059,000. Sigma Planning Corp acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter valued at $343,000. Finally, Cornerstone Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter valued at $311,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRSH has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective 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. 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 research note on Thursday, July 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $200.81.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

MRSH stock opened at $182.22 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $156.60 and a 52-week high of $216.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11. The stock has a market cap of $88.03 billion, a PE ratio of 22.78, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

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

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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