John Doyle Sells 16,655 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) Stock

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) CEO John Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.8%

NYSE MRSH opened at $183.43 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $88.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $170.37 and a 12 month high of $248.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.The company had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.52 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.87 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 42.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on MRSH shares. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $216.18.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marsh & McLennan Companies

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Solstein Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

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.