Teacher Retirement System of Texas Boosts Stock Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC

Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 145,839 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,334 shares during the quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $29,391,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,158,562 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $10,092,108,000 after acquiring an additional 837,117 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.6% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,684,210 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,762,513,000 after purchasing an additional 196,475 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,328,587,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership grew its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 3,443,454 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $752,877,000 after buying an additional 32,118 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,901,598 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $634,405,000 after buying an additional 43,462 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.22, for a total value of $3,841,015.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 87,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,977,231.82. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.35% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on MMC shares. Bank of America reiterated an “underperform” rating and issued a $181.00 price objective (down from $243.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Citigroup reduced their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $211.00 to $201.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $218.82.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

NYSE MMC opened at $182.39 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.12. The company has a market cap of $89.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.76. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $183.69 and a two-hundred day moving average of $194.18. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $174.18 and a 1-year high of $248.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 29th will be issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 29th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 43.17%.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company 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.