Artisan Partners Limited Partnership Sells 6,443 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC

Artisan Partners Limited Partnership reduced its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 0.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,437,011 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 6,443 shares during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies makes up about 1.0% of Artisan Partners Limited Partnership’s holdings, making the stock its 28th largest position. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership owned about 0.70% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $692,661,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. R Squared Ltd increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 6,034 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,216,000 after acquiring an additional 399 shares during the last quarter. Interchange Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter worth about $212,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.7% in the third quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,002,026 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $201,934,000 after purchasing an additional 44,670 shares in the last quarter. Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT raised its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% in the third quarter. Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT now owns 539,325 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $108,690,000 after purchasing an additional 2,291 shares during the period. Finally, TD Asset Management Inc boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 6.1% in the 3rd quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 981,977 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $197,898,000 after buying an additional 56,442 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on MMC shares. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. Bank of America reissued an “underperform” rating and set a $181.00 price objective (down from $243.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Cantor Fitzgerald reduced their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $208.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $199.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $216.88.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

MMC stock opened at $182.39 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $183.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $190.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.12. The stock has a market cap of $89.35 billion, a PE ratio of 21.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.76. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $174.18 and a one year high of $248.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 29th were given a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 29th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.17%.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.22, for a total value of $3,841,015.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 87,681 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,977,231.82. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company 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.