Equitable Trust Co. Buys New Shares in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Equitable Trust Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm purchased 8,427 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,462,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Solstein Capital LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Marsh & McLennan Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target on Marsh & McLennan to $218 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling strong upside expectations. Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Given New $218.00 Price Target at Cantor Fitzgerald
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho also lifted its price target to $197, keeping a neutral rating, which still reflects a more favorable valuation view. Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Price Target Raised to $197.00 at Mizuho
• Positive Sentiment: UBS maintained its buy rating on Marsh & McLennan, reinforcing a broadly positive analyst stance on the shares. UBS Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Marsh & McLennan Companies (MRSH)
• Positive Sentiment: Marsh & McLennan increased its quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.99 per share, highlighting strong cash generation and shareholder-friendly capital allocation. Marsh Raises Dividend: Is Its Capital Return Story Getting Stronger?
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also declared the dividend formally for shareholders of record on July 23, which confirms the payout timing but is not a new catalyst. Marsh & McLennan Companies dividend announcement

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently commented on MRSH. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Bank of America dropped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Mizuho raised their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $194.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $200.44.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of MRSH opened at $178.52 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $86.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.32, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.61. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $156.60 and a twelve month high of $216.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.99 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. This is a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.00%.

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.