Haverford Trust Co Takes Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Haverford Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm acquired 6,955 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,159,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of MRSH. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 387,100 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter valued at $6,583,806,000. State Street Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $3,482,557,000. Finally, Capital World Investors acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,140,284,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 1.0%

NYSE:MRSH opened at $192.17 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $179.88. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $156.60 and a 52-week high of $212.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $91.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.59.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its earnings results 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% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.43 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.99 per share. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 23rd. This is a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 48.41%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on MRSH shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Mizuho raised 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. Citigroup downgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $216.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $203.50.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Lloyd M. Yates sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.65, for a total value of $2,107,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 12,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,107,975.65. This represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Paul Beswick sold 713 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the senior vice president owned 16,376 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,242,448. This represents a 4.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 36,469 shares of company stock worth $6,291,345 over the last three months. 0.38% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company 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.