Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Makes New Investment in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 1,094,197 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $189,788,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. State Street Corp purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $3,140,284,000. Wellington Management Group LLP bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $2,967,927,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,710,101,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target 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. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Piper Sandler cut their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. One 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $200.44.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the business’s 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 directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS reiterated its Buy rating and raised its price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies (MRSH) to $212, signaling confidence in further upside. UBS Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Marsh & McLennan Companies (MRSH)
• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald also lifted its price target on MRSH to $218 and kept an Overweight rating, reinforcing the view that the shares still have meaningful upside. Benzinga report on Cantor Fitzgerald price target increase
• Positive Sentiment: Marsh & McLennan raised its quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.99 per share, a sign of strong cash generation and continued commitment to returning capital to shareholders. Marsh Raises Dividend: Is Its Capital Return Story Getting Stronger?
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho modestly increased its price target to $197 while keeping a Neutral rating, adding to the overall analyst attention but offering a more balanced view. Benzinga report on Mizuho price target increase
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also formally declared the new quarterly dividend, payable in August, confirming the higher payout and supporting the stock’s income appeal. Dividend declaration details

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

MRSH stock opened at $178.81 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $156.60 and a one year high of $216.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $86.38 billion, a PE ratio of 22.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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. As a group, analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. This is an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 45.00%.

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.