Hsbc Holdings PLC Decreases Stock Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• HSBC Holdings PLC cut its stake in Marsh & McLennan by 13.5% in the first quarter, selling 153,806 shares and leaving it with 985,680 shares valued at about $171.4 million.
• Marsh & McLennan’s latest earnings beat expectations, with Q1 EPS of $3.29 versus the $3.21 consensus and revenue rising 7.6% year over year to $7.30 billion.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.99 per share from $0.90, implying an annualized payout of $3.96 and a yield of about 2.2%.

Hsbc Holdings PLC trimmed its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 13.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 985,680 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 153,806 shares during the quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned approximately 0.20% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $171,359,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRSH has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings cut Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Barclays cut 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. Bank of America lowered their price objective 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. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $200.81.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed 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. Insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.0%

MRSH stock opened at $182.20 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $156.60 and a one year high of $213.80. The company has a market cap of $88.02 billion, a PE ratio of 22.77, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 earnings per share 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. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.99 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. 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. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.00%.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company 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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