Assetmark Inc. Trims Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Assetmark Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 6.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 645,728 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 42,855 shares during the quarter. Assetmark Inc. owned 0.13% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $119,795,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Third View Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $2,555,000. Baillie Gifford & Co. increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 87,167 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $16,171,000 after acquiring an additional 4,806 shares during the period. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 19.7% during the fourth quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 114,498 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $21,242,000 after acquiring an additional 18,845 shares during the period. Palouse Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 35.0% during the fourth quarter. Palouse Capital Management Inc. now owns 12,857 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,385,000 after buying an additional 3,332 shares during the period. Finally, Clear Creek Financial Management LLC grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC now owns 1,449 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $269,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

MRSH stock opened at $173.47 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $173.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $83.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.58, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.75. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $164.89 and a 12 month high of $239.34. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released 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. The business 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 quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.87 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share 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 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 yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 42.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings assumed coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. They set a “hold (c)” rating on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada restated 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. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Evercore lowered their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $205.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

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.