LGT Capital Partners LTD. Raises Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC

LGT Capital Partners LTD. raised its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 177,731 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,769 shares during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies accounts for approximately 1.7% of LGT Capital Partners LTD.’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest position. LGT Capital Partners LTD.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $35,818,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Rockland Trust Co. increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 801.6% in the third quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 12,073 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,433,000 after buying an additional 10,734 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 225.1% during the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 1,051,055 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $229,803,000 after purchasing an additional 727,714 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.8% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,158,562 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $10,092,108,000 after purchasing an additional 837,117 shares in the last quarter. Navera Investment Management Ltd. increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 7.0% in the third quarter. Navera Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,623,960 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $327,303,000 after buying an additional 105,954 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund raised its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18.7% during the 2nd quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 218,131 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $47,692,000 after buying an additional 34,400 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. TD Cowen reduced their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $213.00 to $200.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Bank of America restated 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Mizuho started coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $212.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $216.88.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 1.7%

Shares of NYSE:MMC opened at $182.39 on Tuesday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $174.18 and a fifty-two week high of $248.00. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $183.80 and its 200-day simple moving average is $190.26. The company has a market cap of $89.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.87, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 29th were issued a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 29th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.17%.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

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

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.