Viking Fund Management LLC Makes New Investment in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Viking Fund Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 17,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $3,154,000.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 31.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 214 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% in the third quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 4,514 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $910,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 2,279 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $423,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Co. boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 6.7% during the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Co. now owns 949 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $207,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lindenwold Advisors INC grew its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC now owns 14,994 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,022,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on MRSH shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $200.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Barclays dropped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $209.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Citigroup boosted 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 note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Mizuho reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $199.00 target price (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, February 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $212.06.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $173.01 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $177.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $83.76 billion, a PE ratio of 20.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.74. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $164.89 and a 52-week high of $248.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its quarterly 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 last year, the firm posted $1.87 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 42.70%.

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.