UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp Takes $3.08 Million Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp opened a new position in Marsh & McLennan during the first quarter, buying 17,731 shares valued at about $3.08 million. Institutional ownership remains high, with hedge funds and other institutions holding 87.99% of the stock.
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares in a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 transaction, reducing his ownership by 12.48%. Despite the sale, insiders still own only 0.38% of the company.
• Marsh & McLennan reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings of $3.29 per share and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.99 per share. Analysts remain mixed but generally cautious-to-positive, with an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $200.44.

UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 17,731 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $3,075,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction 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 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. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRSH has been the subject of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Citigroup raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. UBS Group raised their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on 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 analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $200.44.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.3%

MRSH traded down $0.48 on Friday, hitting $178.52. 1,526,536 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,424,644. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The stock has a market cap of $86.24 billion, a PE ratio of 22.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $156.60 and a fifty-two 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. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders 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 yield of 2.2%. This is a boost 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 45.00%.

Key Marsh & McLennan Companies News

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

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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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