Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08, FiscalAI reports. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 31.60%. The company had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of MRSH stock opened at $175.20 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $84.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.78, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $173.02. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a twelve month low of $164.89 and a twelve month high of $235.78.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 42.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on MRSH. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased 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 note on Thursday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings assumed coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. They set a “hold (c)” rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $205.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Marsh & McLennan Companies

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 31.3% in the 3rd quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 214 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 4,514 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $910,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 2,279 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $423,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 1,758 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $326,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lindenwold Advisors INC boosted its stake 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 buying an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Marsh & McLennan Companies News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results: Marsh & McLennan reported $3.29 EPS, revenue of $7.60B, a 15.42% net margin and 31.6% ROE — metrics that underscore strong profitability and cash generation for the quarter. MarketBeat MRSH Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Leadership/succession update: The company elevated long-serving CFO Mark McGinnis (or Mark McGi… per reports) to a COO role as part of succession planning; this clarifies internal succession but leaves some investor questions about long-term leadership direction. Marsh & McLennan Elevates CFO to COO Role
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/market context pieces previewed the quarter and succession implications — useful background for investors but not a direct catalyst. Investing.com: Earnings in Focus
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade/target cut: Bank of America trimmed its price target (reported from $181 to $174) and assigned an “underperform” stance, which has pressured sentiment and trading. Benzinga Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Shares slid after the target cut, amplifying short-term downside as investors reacted more to the analyst action than to the underlying quarter. Kalkine: Shares Slide After Target Cut

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.