BNP Paribas Reduces Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

BNP Paribas lessened its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 98.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 594 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 40,807 shares during the period. BNP Paribas’ holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $120,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth $29,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter worth $32,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter valued at $32,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRSH has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of 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. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $209.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $216.12.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

NYSE MRSH opened at $172.18 on Monday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $170.37 and a one year high of $248.00. The stock has a market cap of $83.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 last year, the firm earned $1.87 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 42.70%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

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.