Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI Acquires Shares of 11,001 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 11,001 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,908,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,856,000 after purchasing an additional 2,960 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% in the 4th quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $651,000 after buying an additional 869 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Trust co increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.8% during the 2nd quarter. Glenview Trust co now owns 3,897 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $852,000 after buying an additional 379 shares in the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% during the second quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 927 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $203,000 after acquiring an additional 922 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,307,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of MRSH opened at $181.67 on Tuesday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $156.60 and a 52-week high of $216.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $87.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 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 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 for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict 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. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be issued a $0.99 dividend. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. This is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRSH has been the subject of several recent research reports. Barclays reduced their price objective on 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. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Piper Sandler reduced 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 report on Tuesday, May 26th. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $194.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Citigroup raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. One investment 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 issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $200.81.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $18,889,506.81. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.