Insider Selling: Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Insider Sells 7,100 Shares of Stock

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) insider Martin South sold 7,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.99, for a total transaction of $1,348,929.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 16,632 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,159,913.68. The trade was a 29.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 2.8%

Shares of MRSH stock traded up $5.37 on Wednesday, hitting $197.56. The stock had a trading volume of 5,030,115 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,956,164. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $156.60 and a twelve month high of $213.80. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $171.78. The firm has a market cap of $94.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.67% and a net margin of 14.24%.The firm had revenue of $7.28 billion for the quarter. The company’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.42 earnings per share 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 is an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 48.41%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRSH has been the subject of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Barclays reduced their target price 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. Citigroup cut Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 target price for the company. in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $201.94.

Institutional Trading of Marsh & McLennan Companies

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MRSH. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. SHP Wealth Management bought 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 Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Asset Dedication LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.