Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC Stake Boosted by Generali Asset Management SPA SGR

Key Points

• Generali Asset Management SPA SGR increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 6.6%, now owning 58,048 shares valued at approximately $12.7 million.
• The company reported a strong earnings performance, with $2.72 EPS, exceeding analyst estimates of $2.66, and a revenue increase of 12.1% year-over-year.
• Marsh & McLennan Companies announced a quarterly dividend of $0.90, representing an annualized yield of 1.7%, with a payout ratio of 43.17%.

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Free Report) by 6.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 58,048 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 3,583 shares during the period. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $12,692,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Accent Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Knuff & Co LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Activest Wealth Management grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2,775.0% in the first quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 115 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Capital Analysts LLC increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 61.0% during the 1st quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 169 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Garde Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $42,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of MMC stock opened at $207.01 on Wednesday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $195.01 and a 12 month high of $248.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The firm has a market cap of $101.77 billion, a PE ratio of 24.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.81. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $203.54 and a 200-day moving average of $215.05.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 17th. The financial services provider reported $2.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.66 by $0.06. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 16.00% and a return on equity of 31.90%. The business had revenue of $6.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.92 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.41 earnings per share. Marsh & McLennan Companies's revenue was up 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 2nd will be paid a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 2nd. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.17%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MMC has been the topic of several analyst reports. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $226.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $222.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and dropped their price target for the company from $248.00 to $242.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $237.13.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.65, for a total value of $4,334,896.35. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 87,681 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,031,597.65. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services.

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