Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) CEO Sells 4,194 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• CEO insider sale: Dean Klisura sold 4,194 Marsh & McLennan shares for approximately $838,800 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing his ownership by 16.69% to 20,935 shares.
• Financial performance: The company reported quarterly EPS of $2.03, beating estimates by $0.07, while revenue rose 8.1% year over year to $6.86 billion.
• Market and analyst view: MRSH shares fell 1.4% to $194.65, while analysts maintained an overall “Hold” rating with an average price target of $204.42. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.99 per share, equivalent to a 2.0% yield.

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) CEO Dean Klisura sold 4,194 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, October 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $838,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 20,935 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,187,000. This represents a 16.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 1.4%

MRSH stock traded down $2.83 during trading on Monday, hitting $194.65. 1,867,681 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,800,981. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 1.09. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $156.60 and a 52-week high of $200.32. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $181.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $92.56 billion, a PE ratio of 23.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.59.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.20% and a return on equity of 33.32%. The business had revenue of $6.86 billion during the quarter. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be paid a $0.99 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 1st. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is currently 47.37%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on MRSH shares. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $191.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $193.00 to $188.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. Mizuho increased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, October 19th. Finally, Evercore cut their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $234.00 to $224.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $204.42.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MRSH. Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 9,612 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,701,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 37.7% during the 3rd quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 219 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 5.3% during the 1st quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 1,452 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $252,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC raised its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 12.6% in the 1st quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 668 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $116,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kintegral Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Kintegral Advisory LLC now owns 14,387 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,456,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company Profile

Marsh & McLennan Companies is a global professional services firm that provides advice and solutions in risk, strategy and people. The company serves businesses, governments and institutions through a portfolio of specialized businesses focused on insurance brokerage, reinsurance, consulting and talent management.

Its principal businesses include Marsh, an insurance brokerage and risk advisory firm; Guy Carpenter, a provider of reinsurance brokerage and related risk-management services; Mercer, which offers consulting in investment, retirement, health and workforce strategy; and Oliver Wyman, a management consulting firm serving clients across industries and regions.

Founded in 1905, Marsh & McLennan serves clients in countries and markets around the world.

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