Avity Investment Management Inc. Acquires 4,467 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Avity Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 210,658 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 4,467 shares during the period. Marsh & McLennan Companies makes up 2.2% of Avity Investment Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 18th biggest position. Avity Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $35,110,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,856,000 after buying an additional 2,960 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% in the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $651,000 after buying an additional 869 shares during the period. Glenview Trust co grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.8% in the second quarter. Glenview Trust co now owns 3,897 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $852,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the period. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% during the 2nd quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 927 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $203,000 after buying an additional 922 shares during the period. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,307,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, insider Martin South sold 7,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.99, for a total value of $1,348,929.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 16,632 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,159,913.68. The trade was a 29.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 36,469 shares of company stock worth $6,291,345 over the last ninety days. 0.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRSH has been the subject of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their target price 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $201.94.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:MRSH opened at $191.31 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $156.60 and a 52-week high of $213.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The company has a market capitalization of $91.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.39, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.59. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $175.15.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 14.24% and a return on equity of 32.67%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be paid a $0.99 dividend. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. This is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

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.