UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp Makes New Investment in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor bought 17,291 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,882,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter worth about $25,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRSH has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Citigroup downgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $216.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. One equities research 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $201.94.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, SVP Paul Beswick sold 713 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $198.00, for a total value of $141,174.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 16,376 shares in the company, valued at $3,242,448. This trade represents a 4.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies 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 owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 36,469 shares of company stock worth $6,291,345 in the last 90 days. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $184.41 on Tuesday. 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 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. The company has a market cap of $88.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a 50 day moving average of $178.11.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $7.28 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.24% and a return on equity of 32.67%. The firm’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.43 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd were given a dividend of $0.99 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a 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 presently 48.41%.

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.