Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Shares Sold by Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG

Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG trimmed its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 18.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 227,777 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 50,838 shares during the period. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $42,257,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management grew its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 31.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 214 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 4,514 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $910,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the period. Procyon Advisors LLC lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 2,279 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $423,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% during the third quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC now owns 14,994 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,022,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the period. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.8% during the third quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 3,663 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $736,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. 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 $171.96 on Thursday. 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 50 day simple moving average of $176.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $83.25 billion, a PE ratio of 20.40, a P/E/G ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.75. 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 earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. The company 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 firm’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 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The business 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 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 payout ratio is presently 42.70%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on MRSH. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Barclays cut 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 research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $212.06.

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.