Swiss National Bank Sells 71,300 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Swiss National Bank reduced its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 4.8% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 1,420,300 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 71,300 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $286,233,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MRSH. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position 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 valued at $10,092,108,000 after buying an additional 837,117 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.6% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,684,210 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,762,513,000 after acquiring an additional 196,475 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter worth about $1,328,587,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.0% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,872,982 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $982,071,000 after purchasing an additional 441,029 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Artisan Partners Limited Partnership raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.9% during 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $183.43 on Monday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $170.37 and a 12-month high of $248.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $88.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.76, a PEG ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.74. 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 posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 31.60%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.87 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given 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 is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.70%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on MRSH. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Evercore lowered their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $216.18.

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.