American Trust Trims Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

American Trust lessened its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 18.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,773 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 2,841 shares during the quarter. American Trust’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $2,215,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have 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 note on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 6th. Mizuho upped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $194.00 to $197.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given 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 $200.44.

Key Stories Impacting 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 Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of MRSH stock traded down $0.48 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $178.52. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,526,536 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,424,644. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The company has a market cap of $86.24 billion, a PE ratio of 22.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $156.60 and a 12-month high of $216.32.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be paid a $0.99 dividend. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is 45.00%.

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.