Marsh & McLennan Q3 Earnings Beat on Consulting Unit Strength

Core Insights - Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (MMC) reported third-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share of $1.85, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.4% and reflecting an 11% year-over-year increase [1][11] - Consolidated revenues reached $6.35 billion, marking an 11% year-over-year growth and a 4% increase on an underlying basis, also surpassing the consensus estimate by 0.5% [1][11] Financial Performance - Total operating expenses rose 12.9% year over year to $5.2 billion, driven by increased compensation and benefits costs, exceeding the model estimate of $5 billion [3] - Adjusted operating income improved 13% year over year to $1.44 billion, with an adjusted operating margin of 22.7%, up 30 basis points year over year [4][11] Segment Performance Risk and Insurance Services - Revenues for this segment were $3.91 billion, up 13% year over year but missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.05 billion [5] - Adjusted operating income for the segment increased 13.3% year over year to $965 million, falling short of the consensus mark by 4.4% [5] - Marsh's revenues within this segment rose 16% year over year to $3.4 billion, with U.S./Canada operations growing 3% on an underlying basis [6] Consulting - The Consulting unit's revenues grew 9% year over year to $2.47 billion, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.9% [8] - Adjusted operating income for the Consulting segment climbed 11% year over year to $545 million, exceeding the consensus mark by 9.4% [8] Financial Position - As of September 30, 2025, cash and cash equivalents stood at $2.5 billion, up from $2.4 billion at the end of 2024 [12] - Total assets increased to $58.8 billion from $56.5 billion at the end of 2024, while long-term debt decreased to $18.3 billion from $19.4 billion [12] - Operating cash flow for the first nine months of 2025 was $3.1 billion, up from $2.3 billion a year ago [13] Capital Deployment - The company repurchased 1.9 million shares for $400 million during the third quarter [14]