John Doyle Sells 21,079 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) Stock

Key Points

• John Doyle, CEO of Marsh & McLennan Companies, sold 21,079 shares of stock for a total of $4,334,896.35, reducing his ownership by 19.38% to 87,681 shares valued at approximately $18 million.
• The company recently increased its quarterly dividend from $0.82 to $0.90 per share, representing a 1.8% yield and a payout ratio of 43.17%.
• Marsh & McLennan Companies reported earnings of $2.72 per share for the last quarter, exceeding expectations, with a year-over-year revenue increase of 12.1% to $6.97 billion.

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) CEO John Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.65, for a total transaction of $4,334,896.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 87,681 shares in the company, valued at $18,031,597.65. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MMC traded down $0.42 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $205.02. The company had a trading volume of 1,244,048 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,986,814. The company's 50 day moving average price is $208.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $221.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The stock has a market cap of $100.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.81. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $196.27 and a 52-week high of $248.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 17th. The financial services provider reported $2.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.66 by $0.06. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 16.00% and a return on equity of 31.90%. The company had revenue of $6.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.92 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.41 earnings per share. Marsh & McLennan Companies's revenue for the quarter was up 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 24th were given a dividend of $0.90 per share. This is an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 24th. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is 43.17%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MMC. Barclays lowered their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $249.00 to $233.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $256.00 price target for the company. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $226.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 18th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $261.00 to $258.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 21st. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $238.76.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Accent Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Knuff & Co LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Activest Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2,775.0% during the 1st quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 115 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 363.3% during the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 139 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services.

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