Stokes Capital Advisors LLC Trims Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Stokes Capital Advisors LLC lowered its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 9.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 38,452 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 4,139 shares during the period. Marsh & McLennan Companies makes up approximately 1.6% of Stokes Capital Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Stokes Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $7,134,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 21,538,014 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,340,556,000 after acquiring an additional 96,436 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,590,697 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,745,889,000 after acquiring an additional 221,033 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,702,898 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,567,410,000 after purchasing an additional 92,767 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,091,478 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,041,386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,260,434 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.7% during the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 9,861,067 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,987,301,000 after purchasing an additional 68,826 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

NYSE:MRSH opened at $173.92 on Thursday. 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, Inc. has a 1-year low of $164.89 and a 1-year high of $248.00. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $176.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $84.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.63, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.74.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.52 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.87 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently commented on MRSH. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of 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. Morgan Stanley raised their target price 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. Evercore decreased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $209.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $212.06.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.35% of the stock is currently 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.