California Public Employees Retirement System Sells 158,819 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

California Public Employees Retirement System lowered its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 12.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,105,853 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 158,819 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System owned about 0.23% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $191,810,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently weighed in on MRSH. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Citigroup upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. 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 issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $200.81.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.0%

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $182.20 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $156.60 and a 12 month high of $213.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $88.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.77, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.61.

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 the consensus estimate 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 business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given 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 of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is currently 45.00%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the business’s 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale 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. Insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

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.