Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Shares Purchased by Wellington Management Group LLP

Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 9.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 15,091,478 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,260,434 shares during the quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP owned about 3.08% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $3,041,386,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter worth about $32,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, TruNorth Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on MRSH shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of 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. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $216.12.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $172.18 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $83.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.42, a PEG ratio of 2.33 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 current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 42.70%.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer 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 legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

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.