NewEdge Advisors LLC Sells 9,794 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• NewEdge Advisors cut its Marsh & McLennan position by 15.2%, selling 9,794 shares and retaining 54,705 shares valued at approximately $9.49 million. Institutional investors collectively own 87.99% of the company.
• Analysts remain broadly neutral, with an average “Hold” rating and a consensus price target of $201.94. Recent ratings included Citigroup downgrading the stock to neutral and Bank of America maintaining an underperform rating.
• Marsh & McLennan reported quarterly EPS of $2.96, beating estimates, while revenue rose 6.2% year over year to $7.28 billion. The company also increased its quarterly dividend to $0.99 per share, implying a 2.1% annual yield.

NewEdge Advisors LLC trimmed its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 15.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 54,705 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 9,794 shares during the quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $9,489,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MRSH. State Street Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $3,140,284,000. Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $2,967,927,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $1,710,101,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Paul Beswick sold 713 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $198.00, for a total value of $141,174.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 16,376 shares in the company, valued at $3,242,448. The trade was a 4.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 36,469 shares of company stock worth $6,291,345 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRSH has been the subject of several analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Citigroup cut Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $200.00 price target for the company. in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Mizuho raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Bank of America lowered their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $201.94.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of MRSH stock opened at $191.31 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $91.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The company's 50-day moving average price is $175.15. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $156.60 and a 12 month high of $213.80.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.24% and a return on equity of 32.67%. The business had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. The company's revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.99 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. This is a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

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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