Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG Sells 50,838 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG lowered its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 18.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 227,777 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 50,838 shares during the quarter. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $42,257,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 11.4% in the fourth quarter. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA now owns 192,881 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $35,783,000 after buying an additional 19,769 shares during the last quarter. Scharf Investments LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $66,375,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth $75,000. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 91.5% during the 4th quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC now owns 6,008 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,115,000 after acquiring an additional 2,871 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nilsine Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Nilsine Partners LLC now owns 5,572 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,034,000 after acquiring an additional 281 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.1%

MRSH stock opened at $171.96 on Thursday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $164.89 and a twelve month high of $248.00. 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 $83.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.40, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.75. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $176.05.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.The firm had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.52 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.87 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction 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.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on MRSH. Raymond James Financial upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Citigroup raised their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings initiated coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. They issued a “hold (c)” rating for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $212.06.

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.