Lmcg Investments LLC Buys New Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Lmcg Investments LLC opened a new position in Marsh & McLennan during the first quarter, buying 5,712 shares worth about $991,000.
• Several Wall Street firms remain constructive on the stock: UBS and Cantor Fitzgerald raised price targets to $212 and $218, respectively, while Cantor kept an Overweight rating.
• Marsh & McLennan boosted its quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.99 per share, and its latest earnings also beat expectations with $3.29 EPS on 7.6% revenue growth.

Lmcg Investments LLC 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 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 5,712 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $991,000.

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

Key Headlines Impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS reiterated its Buy rating and raised its price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies (MRSH) to $212, signaling confidence in further upside. UBS Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Marsh & McLennan Companies (MRSH)
• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald also lifted its price target on MRSH to $218 and kept an Overweight rating, reinforcing the view that the shares still have meaningful upside. Benzinga report on Cantor Fitzgerald price target increase
• Positive Sentiment: Marsh & McLennan raised its quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.99 per share, a sign of strong cash generation and continued commitment to returning capital to shareholders. Marsh Raises Dividend: Is Its Capital Return Story Getting Stronger?
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho modestly increased its price target to $197 while keeping a Neutral rating, adding to the overall analyst attention but offering a more balanced view. Benzinga report on Mizuho price target increase
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also formally declared the new quarterly dividend, payable in August, confirming the higher payout and supporting the stock’s income appeal. Dividend declaration details

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of MRSH opened at $178.81 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. The firm has a market capitalization of $86.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.61 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 data 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 net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company 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 an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is 45.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $200.44.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the company'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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

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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