Brevan Howard Capital Management LP Sells 14,107 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Brevan Howard Capital Management LP decreased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 30.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 31,508 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 14,107 shares during the period. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $6,350,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. CSM Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter worth $1,180,000. Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 294,316 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $59,314,000 after acquiring an additional 7,449 shares in the last quarter. Capitolis Liquid Global Markets LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter worth $6,006,000. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 24.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 4,607 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $928,000 after purchasing an additional 913 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18.0% in the third quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 25,604 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $5,159,000 after purchasing an additional 3,906 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.8%

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $172.18 on Friday. 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 $83.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.74. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $170.37 and a 1-year high of $248.00.

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 for 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%. The firm’s revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.87 EPS. 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 business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 42.70%.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Mizuho restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $199.00 price target (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $203.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup boosted their price objective 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. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $216.12.

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.