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Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 29 January 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Full-year revenue grew 10%: Full-year revenue was $27.0 billion, up 10% on a GAAP basis and 4% on an underlying basis. Source
  • Operating and adjusted income rose: Full-year operating income rose 7% to $6.2 billion, and adjusted operating income rose 11% to $7.3 billion, which excludes noteworthy items and intangible amortization. Source
  • Fourth-quarter revenue rose 9%: Fourth-quarter revenue was $6.6 billion, up 9% on a GAAP basis and 4% underlying; operating income rose 7% to $1.2 billion and GAAP EPS was $1.68. Source
  • Marsh Risk regional underlying growth: Marsh Risk underlying revenue grew 3% in U.S./Canada and 4% internationally, with EMEA up 6%, Asia Pacific up 2%, and Latin America down 4%. Source
  • Share repurchases of $2.0 billion: The company bought back 10.1 million shares for $2.0 billion in 2025, against $900 million of treasury share purchases in 2024. Source
  • Thrive efficiency program: Thrive is a three-year program launched in the third quarter of 2025, aimed at brand strategy, client value, growth and efficiency, with savings from process, automation and operating model changes. Source

“Our fourth quarter results capped another solid year for Marsh.”

John Doyle, President and CEO

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Marsh Risk replaces Marsh as the reporting name for that business, and Marsh Management Consulting replaces Oliver Wyman Group. Source
  • New: The NYSE ticker changed to MRSH on January 14. Source

Full-year and fourth-quarter results

  • Full-year revenue grew 10%: Full-year revenue was $27.0 billion, up 10% on a GAAP basis and 4% on an underlying basis. Source
  • Operating and adjusted income rose: Full-year operating income rose 7% to $6.2 billion, and adjusted operating income rose 11% to $7.3 billion, which excludes noteworthy items and intangible amortization. Source
  • Full-year net income and diluted EPS: Net income attributable to the Company was $4.2 billion, or $8.43 per diluted share, against $8.18 in 2024; adjusted EPS rose 9% to $9.75. Source
  • Fourth-quarter revenue rose 9%: Fourth-quarter revenue was $6.6 billion, up 9% on a GAAP basis and 4% underlying; operating income rose 7% to $1.2 billion and GAAP EPS was $1.68. Source
  • Tax and currency helped adjusted EPS: Fourth-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.12 included a 7-cent benefit from favorable discrete tax items and a 2-cent benefit from foreign exchange. Source
  • Eighteenth year of margin expansion: The CEO cited 10% revenue growth, 4% underlying growth, double-digit adjusted operating income growth, 9% adjusted EPS growth, and an 18th consecutive year of reported margin expansion. Source

Segments and regions

  • Risk & Insurance Services revenue and profit: Risk & Insurance Services revenue was $4.0 billion, up 9% or 2% underlying; operating income rose 8% to $830 million and adjusted operating income rose 11% to $1.1 billion. Source
  • Marsh Risk regional underlying growth: Marsh Risk underlying revenue grew 3% in U.S./Canada and 4% internationally, with EMEA up 6%, Asia Pacific up 2%, and Latin America down 4%. Source
  • Full-year Marsh Risk growth: Marsh Risk revenue for 2025 was $14.4 billion, up 15% on a GAAP basis and 4% underlying, with acquisitions and other items adding 10 points. Source
  • Guy Carpenter quarter growth: Guy Carpenter revenue was $215 million in the fourth quarter, up 7% on a GAAP basis and 5% underlying. Source
  • Consulting revenue and income growth: Consulting revenue was $2.6 billion, up 8% or 5% underlying; operating income rose 4% to $483 million and adjusted operating income rose 10% to $550 million. Source
  • Marsh Management Consulting growth: Marsh Management Consulting revenue was $1.0 billion, up 8% on both a GAAP and an underlying basis. Source

“Our team performed well in a complex environment, and we are positioned for sustained momentum in 2026.”

John Doyle, President and CEO

Consulting and Mercer lines

  • Mercer Wealth and Health grew: Mercer revenue was $1.6 billion, up 9% or 4% underlying; Wealth grew 5%, Health grew 6%, and Career declined 2%, all underlying. Source
  • U.S./Canada acquisition effect: U.S./Canada revenue rose 12% on a GAAP basis and 3% underlying; acquisitions and other items added 9 points, which the company ties to McGriff. Source
  • Full-year Consulting growth: Full-year Consulting revenue was $9.8 billion, up 7% on a GAAP basis and 5% underlying; adjusted operating income rose 10% to $2.1 billion. Source
  • Full-year Mercer growth: Mercer revenue for 2025 was $6.2 billion, up 8% on a GAAP basis and 4% underlying. Source

Costs and noteworthy items

  • Restructuring excluded from adjusted results: Restructuring charges of $126 million in the fourth quarter, mainly severance and lease exit costs, were excluded from adjusted operating income. Source
  • Adjusted measures exclude noteworthy items: Fourth-quarter adjusted operating income rose 12% to $1.6 billion after excluding noteworthy items and $137 million of identified intangible amortization. Source
  • Compensation and other costs rose: Compensation and benefits were $3.9 billion in the quarter, up from $3.6 billion, and other operating expenses were $1.4 billion, up from $1.3 billion. Source
  • McGriff integration costs excluded: Quarterly McGriff integration and retention costs of $49 million were excluded from adjusted results; full-year costs were $215 million. Source

Adjusted and reported margins

  • Full-year adjusted margin 27.1%: Full-year adjusted operating margin was 27.1% against 26.8% in 2024, with Risk & Insurance Services at 32.0% and Consulting at 21.1%. Source
  • Fourth-quarter adjusted margin 23.7%: Fourth-quarter adjusted operating margin was 23.7% against 23.3% a year earlier; Risk & Insurance Services was 27.6% against 27.0%. Source
  • Quarterly GAAP operating margin 18.5%: GAAP operating margin was 18.5% for the quarter, against 18.8%; Risk & Insurance Services was 20.9%. Source
  • Full-year GAAP operating margin 23.1%: Full-year GAAP operating margin was 23.1%, with Risk & Insurance Services at 26.8% and Consulting at 19.4%. Source

Capital, cash and returns

  • Share repurchases of $2.0 billion: The company bought back 10.1 million shares for $2.0 billion in 2025, against $900 million of treasury share purchases in 2024. Source
  • Operating cash flow rose: Net cash from operations was $5.3 billion in 2025, against $4.3 billion in 2024. Source
  • Dividends paid rose: Dividends paid were $1.7 billion in 2025, against $1.5 billion in 2024. Source
  • Acquisitions and capital spending: Acquisitions, net of cash acquired, were $652 million in 2025 against $8.5 billion in 2024; capital expenditures were $291 million. Source
  • Debt and cash at year end: Short-term debt was $1.3 billion and long-term debt $18.3 billion at year end; cash and cash equivalents were $2.7 billion. Source

Brand, Thrive and reporting changes

  • Thrive efficiency program: Thrive is a three-year program launched in the third quarter of 2025, aimed at brand strategy, client value, growth and efficiency, with savings from process, automation and operating model changes. Source
  • Brand launch and McGriff integration: Management says the new brand launched and the McGriff integration was completed; the Thrive program was also announced. Source
  • Mercer and Guy Carpenter brands: Mercer and Guy Carpenter keep their current brands in reporting during a transition period. Source

Coming up, as management said on 29 January 2026

  • Four businesses adopt Marsh brand: The four businesses are to adopt the Marsh brand beginning in 2027, after a transition period.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.