Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. Boosts Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC

Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 14.3% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 73,768 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 9,214 shares during the quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $14,866,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MMC. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 225.1% in the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 1,051,055 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $229,803,000 after acquiring an additional 727,714 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,158,562 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $10,092,108,000 after purchasing an additional 837,117 shares during the period. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18.7% in the 2nd quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 218,131 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $47,692,000 after purchasing an additional 34,400 shares in the last quarter. Navera Investment Management Ltd. increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 7.0% during the 3rd quarter. Navera Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,623,960 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $327,303,000 after purchasing an additional 105,954 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Valeo Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 48,212.9% in the second quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,629,187 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $574,845,000 after buying an additional 2,623,745 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on MMC. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $258.00 to $257.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $208.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on 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. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $218.82.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 1.7%

Shares of NYSE MMC opened at $182.39 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.12. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $174.18 and a 1 year high of $248.00. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $183.96 and its 200-day simple moving average is $193.10. The firm has a market cap of $89.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.87, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.76.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 29th will be given a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 29th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 43.17%.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.22, for a total transaction of $3,841,015.38. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 87,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,977,231.82. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 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.