Ironwood Investment Counsel LLC Acquires New Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Ironwood Investment Counsel LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 5,528 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $959,000.

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $182.20 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $88.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.61. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $156.60 and a 1 year high of $213.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a $0.99 dividend. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. This is a boost 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 presently 45.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on MRSH. Mizuho lifted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $194.00 to $197.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 6th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $200.81.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated 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. 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 accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

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.