UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp Takes Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund bought 17,731 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $3,075,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MRSH. Solstein Capital LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of MRSH stock traded down $0.48 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $178.52. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,526,536 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,424,644. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick 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 $216.32. The company has a market cap of $86.24 billion, a PE ratio of 22.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm 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 represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is a positive change 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 dividend payout ratio is currently 45.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target on Marsh & McLennan to $218 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling strong upside expectations. Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Given New $218.00 Price Target at Cantor Fitzgerald
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho also lifted its price target to $197, keeping a neutral rating, which still reflects a more favorable valuation view. Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Price Target Raised to $197.00 at Mizuho
• Positive Sentiment: UBS maintained its buy rating on Marsh & McLennan, reinforcing a broadly positive analyst stance on the shares. UBS Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Marsh & McLennan Companies (MRSH)
• Positive Sentiment: Marsh & McLennan increased its quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.99 per share, highlighting strong cash generation and shareholder-friendly capital allocation. Marsh Raises Dividend: Is Its Capital Return Story Getting Stronger?
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also declared the dividend formally for shareholders of record on July 23, which confirms the payout timing but is not a new catalyst. Marsh & McLennan Companies dividend announcement

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on MRSH. Citigroup raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Bank of America cut their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $200.44.

Marsh & McLennan Companies 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.