Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Shares Acquired by Rathbones Group PLC

Rathbones Group PLC increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 5.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,332,148 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 67,901 shares during the period. Marsh & McLennan Companies accounts for about 0.8% of Rathbones Group PLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Rathbones Group PLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $247,140,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth $29,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, TruNorth Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Evercore cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $200.00 target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup lifted their price objective 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. Finally, Mizuho reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $199.00 target price (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, February 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five 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, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $212.06.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $174.49 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $84.47 billion, a PE ratio of 20.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.75. The company’s 50-day moving average is $175.70. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $164.89 and a fifty-two week high of $248.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. The firm 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%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.87 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

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.