Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Shares Sold by Korea Investment CORP

Korea Investment CORP trimmed its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 2.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 327,006 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 8,516 shares during the quarter. Korea Investment CORP’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $65,902,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Rockland Trust Co. grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 801.6% in the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in 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 buying an additional 837,117 shares during the last quarter. Navera Investment Management Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 7.0% in the 3rd quarter. Navera Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,623,960 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $327,303,000 after acquiring an additional 105,954 shares during the period. Bridges Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.4% in the third quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 76,196 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $15,356,000 after acquiring an additional 3,177 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 41.7% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,202,372 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $443,844,000 after acquiring an additional 647,987 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRSH has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Citigroup increased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Evercore decreased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Mizuho reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $199.00 target price (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, February 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $216.18.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

MRSH stock opened at $183.43 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $88.80 billion, a PE ratio of 21.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.74. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $170.37 and a 52-week high of $248.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.The firm had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.52 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.87 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 42.70%.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.