Capital Investment Advisors LLC Trims Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Capital Investment Advisors LLC lessened its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 4.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure 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 period. Capital Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $29,621,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% in the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% during the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $651,000 after purchasing an additional 869 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth about $1,064,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 21,766.7% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,560 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,434,000 after purchasing an additional 6,530 shares during the period. Finally, J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 36.9% during the second quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 2,365 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $517,000 after acquiring an additional 638 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MRSH. Barclays reduced their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $209.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. 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 report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One investment 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $212.06.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 2.8%

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock 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 stock has a market cap of $81.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $176.34.

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 firm had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.87 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, 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 company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date 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%.

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.