Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Boosts Stock Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 9,455.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,520,164 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,504,255 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned 0.31% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $282,021,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 21,538,014 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,340,556,000 after acquiring an additional 96,436 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,590,697 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,745,889,000 after purchasing an additional 221,033 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,702,898 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,567,410,000 after purchasing an additional 92,767 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,091,478 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,041,386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,260,434 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.7% in the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 9,861,067 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,987,301,000 after purchasing an additional 68,826 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of MRSH stock opened at $173.86 on Tuesday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $164.89 and a fifty-two week high of $248.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $177.91. The stock has a market cap of $84.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.74.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.87 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis 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%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on MRSH. Mizuho reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $199.00 target price (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Weiss Ratings started coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Thursday, January 29th. They issued a “hold (c)” rating for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Evercore reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $216.12.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $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 is available at this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is currently 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.