Lloyd Yates Sells 12,000 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Stock

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) Director Lloyd Yates sold 12,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.65, for a total transaction of $2,107,800.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 12,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,107,975.65. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

MRSH stock traded up $6.11 on Tuesday, reaching $189.42. The company had a trading volume of 576,820 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,912,260. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $156.60 and a 1 year high of $213.80. The firm has a market cap of $90.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.16, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.24% and a return on equity of 32.67%. The firm had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a $0.99 dividend. This is an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.41%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.5% in the fourth quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 134,542 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $24,960,000 after purchasing an additional 11,648 shares in the last quarter. Essex LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 1st quarter valued at about $2,891,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 20.6% during the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 88,934 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $16,499,000 after buying an additional 15,166 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $8,643,309,000 after purchasing an additional 387,100 shares during the period. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 26.6% during the 4th quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 35,293 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $6,549,000 after purchasing an additional 7,418 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on MRSH shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings cut Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $201.94.

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.