Marsh & McLennan Boosts Dividend by 10% to 90 Cents Per Share

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.’s MMC board of directors recently sanctioned a 10% hike in the quarterly dividend in a bid to boost shareholders’ value. MMC will now pay a dividend of 90 cents per share compared with the prior payout of 81.5 cents.The increased dividend will be paid out on Aug. 15, 2025, to shareholders of record as of July 24. This marks the 16th consecutive year of dividend growth for the company, reflecting a 16-year CAGR of 9.5%. Based on the stock’s July 9 closing price of $214.17, its dividend yield of 1.5% remains higher than the industry’s figure of 1.1%.MMC has consistently upheld its dividend growth strategy, having raised its quarterly dividend by 15% in the previous year. This steady progression aligns with management’s long-standing objective to deliver yearly dividend increases. Moreover, the company has been paying regular dividends since 2006.Impressive Capital Deployment History of Marsh & McLennanIn addition to regular dividend payments, Marsh & McLennan returns capital to shareholders through share repurchases. The company bought back around 4.3 million shares for $900 million in 2024, followed by repurchases of 1.3 million shares for $300 million in the first quarter of 2025. MMC had around $2 billion in funds remaining under its share buyback program as of March 31, 2025.This year is also expected to be a strong one for Marsh & McLennan with respect to its capital deployment history, as it plans to deploy around $4.5 billion in capital through dividend payments, acquisitions and share repurchases.Such uninterrupted capital deployment moves highlight a company’s strong financial position. Marsh & McLennan boasts a strong financial position, thanks to its adequate cash reserves and robust free cash flow generation abilities. It had cash and cash equivalents of $1.6 billion as of March 31, 2025. In the trailing 12-month period, free cash flow after dividends improved 5.6% from the prior-year comparable period.Return on equity, a profitability measure to identify how tactically the company is utilizing its shareholders’ funds, stands at 33.1% for Marsh & McLennan, which remains higher than the industry’s average of 27.6%.MMC’s Share Price Performance & Zacks RankShares of Marsh & McLennan have gained 1.2% in the past six months against the industry’s decline of 1.4%. MMC currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchStocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks in the insurance space include Root, Inc. ROOT, MGIC Investment Corporation MTG and Kemper Corporation KMPR. While Root sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), MGIC Investment and Kemper carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.The bottom line of Root outpaced estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 208.89%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ROOT’s 2025 earnings is pegged at $1.38 per share. The consensus mark for revenues implies a year-over-year improvement of 16.4%. The consensus mark for Root’s 2025 earnings has moved north by 24.3% in the past seven days.MGIC Investment’s earnings outpaced estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 15.88%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MTG’s 2025 earnings indicates 0.3% year-over-year growth, while the same for revenues implies an improvement of 1.3%. The consensus mark for MGIC Investment’s 2025 earnings has moved north by 0.7% in the past 30 days.The bottom line of Kemper outpaced estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 21.11%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for KMPR’s 2025 earnings implies 7.6% year-over-year growth, while the same for revenues implies an improvement of 7.5%. The consensus mark for Kemper’s 2025 earnings has moved north by 1.1% in the past 60 days.Shares of Root and MGIC Investment have gained 47.5% and 12.7%, respectively, in the past six months. However, Kemper stock has lost 3.2% in the same time frame.Higher. Faster. Sooner. Buy These Stocks NowA small number of stocks are primed for a breakout, and you have a chance to get in before they take off.At any given time, there are only 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. On average, this list more than doubles the S&P 500. We’ve combed through the latest Strong Buys and selected 7 compelling companies likely to jump sooner and climb higher than any other stock you could buy this month.You'll learn everything you need to know about these exciting trades in our brand-new Special Report, 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Download the report free now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report MGIC Investment Corporation (MTG): Free Stock Analysis Report Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (MMC): Free Stock Analysis Report Kemper Corporation (KMPR): Free Stock Analysis Report Root, Inc. (ROOT): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks