Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Purchases New Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 4,240 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $735,000.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in MRSH. Procyon Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 2,279 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $423,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC raised its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 1,758 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $326,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC now owns 14,994 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,022,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,673 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $306,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EP Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 8,337 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,823,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on MRSH shares. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price 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. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of 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. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $194.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $200.44.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $178.52 on Monday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $156.60 and a fifty-two week high of $216.32. The company has a market capitalization of $86.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 EPS 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 was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, 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. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.99 per share. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.00%.

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

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.