Wellington Management Group LLP Trims Stock Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Wellington Management reduced its Marsh & McLennan stake by 2.3%, selling 395,471 shares and retaining 16.98 million shares valued at approximately $2.83 billion. Institutional investors collectively own 87.99% of the stock.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly neutral, with a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $203.50; recent targets range from $182 to $216.
• Marsh & McLennan exceeded quarterly earnings expectations with $2.96 EPS versus $2.89 forecast and 6.2% year-over-year revenue growth. The company also increased its quarterly dividend to $0.99 per share, or $3.96 annualized.

Wellington Management Group LLP lowered its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 16,975,238 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 395,471 shares during the quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP owned about 3.56% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $2,829,263,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $6,583,806,000. State Street Corp bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $3,140,284,000. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at $66,475,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, insider Martin South sold 7,100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.99, for a total transaction of $1,348,929.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 16,632 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,159,913.68. This represents a 29.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Paul Beswick sold 713 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.00, for a total transaction of $141,174.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 16,376 shares in the company, valued at $3,242,448. This represents a 4.17% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 36,469 shares of company stock worth $6,291,345. 0.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRSH has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group increased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $216.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. One equities research 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 given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $203.50.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $192.90 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. The company has a market cap of $92.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a fifty day moving average of $182.75. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $156.60 and a 52-week high of $207.82.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.24% and a return on equity of 32.67%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

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

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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