TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co Decreases Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co cut its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 79.6% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 828 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 3,233 shares during the period. TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $138,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. Solstein Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter valued at $25,000. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.2%

MRSH stock opened at $191.31 on Monday. 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 12 month low of $156.60 and a 12 month high of $213.80. The stock has a market cap of $91.30 billion, a PE ratio of 23.39, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.59. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $175.15.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.24% and a return on equity of 32.67%. The business had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.43 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.99 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. This is an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 48.41%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently issued reports on MRSH shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Weiss Ratings raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday. Mizuho upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $216.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $201.94.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, insider Martin South sold 7,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.99, for a total value of $1,348,929.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 16,632 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,159,913.68. This represents a 29.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 36,469 shares of company stock worth $6,291,345 in the last 90 days. 0.38% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.