Capital Investment Advisors LLC Sells 7,601 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Capital Investment Advisors LLC lowered its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 4.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 159,662 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 7,601 shares during the quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $29,621,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,856,000 after purchasing an additional 2,960 shares during the period. Bison Wealth LLC increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% during the 4th quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $651,000 after purchasing an additional 869 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,064,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 21,766.7% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,560 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,434,000 after purchasing an additional 6,530 shares during the period. Finally, J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 36.9% in the second quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 2,365 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $517,000 after buying an additional 638 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.35% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 2.8%

MRSH opened at $169.25 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $164.89 and a 1-year high of $248.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.74. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $176.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (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 firm had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.52 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.87 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities 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. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is currently 42.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on MRSH shares. Evercore decreased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Mizuho restated a “neutral” rating and set a $199.00 target price (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted 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. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $209.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $212.06.

Marsh & McLennan Companies 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.