Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. Invests $19.28 Million in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC

Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 95,653 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $19,277,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Activest Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2,775.0% in the first quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 115 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 363.3% during the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 139 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Access Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at $39,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of MMC stock opened at $187.10 on Monday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $174.18 and a 12-month high of $248.00. The company has a market capitalization of $91.66 billion, a PE ratio of 22.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.75. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $183.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $198.36. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.78 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.34 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.79% and a net margin of 15.60%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.63 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.22, for a total value 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. The trade was a 19.38% 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. Corporate insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on MMC shares. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the company from $200.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Monday, October 20th. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $258.00 to $257.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, October 31st. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Tuesday, September 16th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $209.00 to $191.00 in a research note on Friday, October 17th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $222.35.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.