Cetera Investment Advisers Raises Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Cetera Investment Advisers grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 2.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 144,505 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 3,661 shares during the quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers’ holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $25,064,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MRSH. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter valued at $28,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value of $2,693,441.76. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Bank of America cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Citigroup downgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. One 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $201.69.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.0%

MRSH opened at $180.66 on Monday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $156.60 and a one year high of $213.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. The stock has a market cap of $86.21 billion, a PE ratio of 22.09, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $7.28 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.67% and a net margin of 14.24%.The business’s revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.99 per share. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is 48.41%.

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.