Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI Buys New Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 11,001 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,908,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% during the 4th 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 last quarter. State Street Corp purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $3,140,284,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $2,967,927,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 1.9%

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $181.67 on Tuesday. 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 stock has a market cap of $87.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $156.60 and a 52 week 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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The company had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on MRSH. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target 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. Weiss Ratings lowered Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 6th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $200.81.

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.