Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Shares Sold by BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas cut its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 98.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 594 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 40,807 shares during the period. BNP Paribas’ holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $120,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Rockland Trust Co. lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 801.6% in the 3rd quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 12,073 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,433,000 after purchasing an additional 10,734 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.8% during 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 in the last quarter. Navera Investment Management Ltd. lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 7.0% during the third quarter. Navera Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,623,960 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $327,303,000 after buying an additional 105,954 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 41.7% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,202,372 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $443,844,000 after buying an additional 647,987 shares during the period. Finally, Bridges Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.4% in the third quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 76,196 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $15,356,000 after acquiring an additional 3,177 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on MRSH shares. Morgan Stanley upped their price target 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. Barclays cut their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $209.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Evercore decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. 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 issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $216.12.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of MRSH stock opened at $172.18 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $83.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.42, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.74. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $170.37 and a 12 month high of $248.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.87 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% 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.

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.