Fulton Breakefield Broenniman LLC Sells 6,119 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Fulton Breakefield Broenniman LLC trimmed its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 69.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,713 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 6,119 shares during the period. Fulton Breakefield Broenniman LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $503,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 31.3% in the 3rd quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 214 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 4,514 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $910,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Procyon Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 2,279 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $423,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Lindenwold Advisors INC lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC now owns 14,994 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,022,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the period. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 3,663 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $736,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on MRSH shares. Weiss Ratings assumed coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. They issued a “hold (c)” rating on the stock. Mizuho reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $199.00 price objective (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Raymond James Financial raised 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. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, January 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $211.75.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

MRSH opened at $174.98 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $175.26. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $164.89 and a 1 year high of $239.34. The firm has a market cap of $84.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its quarterly 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. 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.52 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.87 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate 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 declared 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 of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.70%.

Insider Activity

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.35% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.