John Doyle Sells 16,655 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Stock

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) CEO John Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock traded up $0.07 on Thursday, hitting $184.91. The stock had a trading volume of 1,989,759 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,050,292. The company has a market capitalization of $89.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.93, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $170.37 and a 52-week high of $248.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.The firm’s revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.87 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $200.00 target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, January 30th. Raymond James Financial raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Weiss Ratings started coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. They issued a “hold (c)” rating on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $216.18.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,856,000 after acquiring an additional 2,960 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% during the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $651,000 after purchasing an additional 869 shares during the last quarter. Sigma Planning Corp grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 12.2% in the second quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 2,529 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $553,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the period. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 363.3% in the second quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 139 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Huntington National Bank boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 39,013 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $8,530,000 after buying an additional 311 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

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.