Aberdeen Group plc Sells 6,954 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Aberdeen Group plc reduced its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 1.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 403,265 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 6,954 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc owned approximately 0.08% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $74,814,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MRSH. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9,455.4% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,520,164 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $282,021,000 after acquiring an additional 1,504,255 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 89.2% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 2,892,576 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $615,309,000 after purchasing an additional 1,363,706 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% during the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 654.7% in the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,419,104 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $285,992,000 after purchasing an additional 1,231,059 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 29.7% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,293,188 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $663,676,000 after purchasing an additional 753,828 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRSH has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings started coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. They set a “hold (c)” rating for the company. Morgan Stanley increased 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 research report on Friday, January 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted 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. Evercore reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $212.06.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $174.49 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $175.70. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $164.89 and a 1-year high of $248.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $84.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.70, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released 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. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.The company had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.52 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.87 earnings per share. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is currently 42.70%.

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.