Relyea Zuckerberg Hanson LLC Invests $2.93 Million in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Relyea Zuckerberg Hanson LLC opened a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter, buying 16,875 shares valued at about $2.93 million.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.99 per share, which works out to an annualized payout of $3.96 and a yield of about 2.2%.
• Marsh & McLennan reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $3.29 per share and revenue of $7.30 billion, while analysts currently rate the stock a consensus “Hold” with an average target price of $200.44.

Relyea Zuckerberg Hanson LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 16,875 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $2,927,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in 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 worth $8,643,309,000 after buying an additional 387,100 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at $3,140,284,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $2,967,927,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

MRSH stock traded down $0.48 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $178.52. The company had a trading volume of 1,526,536 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,424,644. The company has a market capitalization of $86.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.32, a PEG 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. 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 earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.99 per share. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is currently 45.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

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 value of $2,693,441.76. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at $18,889,506.81. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available 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.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MRSH. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective 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. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. One investment 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 issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $200.44.

Trending Headlines about Marsh & McLennan Companies

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target on Marsh & McLennan to $218 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling strong upside expectations. Marsh & McLennan Companies NYSE: MRSH Given New $218.00 Price Target at Cantor Fitzgerald
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho also lifted its price target to $197, keeping a neutral rating, which still reflects a more favorable valuation view. Marsh & McLennan Companies NYSE: MRSH Price Target Raised to $197.00 at Mizuho
• Positive Sentiment: UBS maintained its buy rating on Marsh & McLennan, reinforcing a broadly positive analyst stance on the shares. UBS Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Marsh & McLennan Companies (MRSH)
• Positive Sentiment: Marsh & McLennan increased its quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.99 per share, highlighting strong cash generation and shareholder-friendly capital allocation. Marsh Raises Dividend: Is Its Capital Return Story Getting Stronger?
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also declared the dividend formally for shareholders of record on July 23, which confirms the payout timing but is not a new catalyst. Marsh & McLennan Companies dividend announcement

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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