North Star Asset Management Inc. Makes New $505,000 Investment in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

North Star Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 3,030 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $505,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 1.5%

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 50 day moving average of $182.75. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $156.60 and a 12-month high of $207.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $92.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.59.

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd were given 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 positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 48.41%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Martin South sold 7,100 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.99, for a total value of $1,348,929.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 16,632 shares in the company, valued at $3,159,913.68. The trade was a 29.92% 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. Also, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. 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 valued at $6,291,345 in the last three months. 0.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on MRSH shares. 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 report on Wednesday, August 19th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. UBS Group increased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $216.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Citigroup cut shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. One 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $203.50.

Marsh & McLennan Companies 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.