Princeton Global Asset Management LLC Reduces Stock Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Princeton Global Asset Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 96.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 331 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 7,899 shares during the quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $61,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. eCIO Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $134,000. Sylvest Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $650,000. JB Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 32.2% in the 4th quarter. JB Capital LLC now owns 27,414 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $5,086,000 after buying an additional 6,672 shares during the period. Savvy Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 37.1% during the 4th quarter. Savvy Advisors Inc. now owns 2,496 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $463,000 after buying an additional 675 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. raised its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 48.0% during the 4th quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 2,965 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $550,000 after buying an additional 961 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Barclays cut their price objective 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. Evercore reduced their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Mizuho reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $199.00 target price (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, February 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $212.06.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $174.49 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $84.47 billion, a PE ratio of 20.70, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.75. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $164.89 and a twelve month high of $248.00. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $175.70.

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the company’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 sale, the chief executive officer directly 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.