ABN Amro Investment Solutions Makes New $32.33 Million Investment in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

ABN Amro Investment Solutions acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 186,408 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $32,332,000.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MRSH. Solstein Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter worth $28,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were 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 directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $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 is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MRSH. Citigroup raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $194.00 to $197.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Bank of America decreased 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 report on Tuesday, April 14th. Barclays cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. One 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 assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $200.81.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $181.35 on Wednesday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $156.60 and a one year high of $213.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11. The firm has a market cap of $87.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 EPS 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. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.99 per share. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. This is an increase 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 payout ratio is presently 45.00%.

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.