Prudential PLC Sells 10,405 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Prudential PLC trimmed its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 9.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 95,897 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 10,405 shares during the quarter. Prudential PLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $19,326,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at about $32,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter worth about $32,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of MRSH opened at $172.18 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $83.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.74. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $170.37 and a 52-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 quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 31.60%. The company had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.87 EPS. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.70%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRSH has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Evercore reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Weiss Ratings began coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. They set a “hold (c)” rating on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $216.12.

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.