Chesley Taft & Associates LLC Acquires 4,011 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Chesley Taft & Associates LLC lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 66.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,052 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 4,011 shares during the period. Chesley Taft & Associates LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $1,865,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MRSH. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, TruNorth Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter worth $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on MRSH shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price 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. Weiss Ratings assumed coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Thursday, January 29th. They set a “hold (c)” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of 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. Finally, Mizuho reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $199.00 price target (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, February 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $212.06.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of MRSH stock opened at $169.25 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.74. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $164.89 and a 12 month high of $248.00. 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 stock has a 50-day moving average price of $176.34.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 31.60%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.87 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 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.