Van ECK Associates Corp Has $19.34 Million Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Van ECK Associates Corp decreased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 2.5% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 116,011 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 2,925 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $19,336,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MRSH. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter worth about $25,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup lowered Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $203.50.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE MRSH opened at $192.90 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The company has a fifty day moving average of $182.75. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $156.60 and a 12 month high of $207.82. The stock has a market cap of $92.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.59.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.24% and a return on equity of 32.67%. The company had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd were paid a $0.99 dividend. This is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.41%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Martin South sold 7,100 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.99, for a total transaction of $1,348,929.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 16,632 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,159,913.68. This trade represents a 29.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value of $2,693,441.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 36,469 shares of company stock worth $6,291,345 in the last quarter. 0.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.