Verdence Capital Advisors LLC Acquires 4,739 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC

Verdence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 298.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,329 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,739 shares during the period. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $1,188,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.8% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,158,562 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $10,092,108,000 after buying an additional 837,117 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,684,210 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,762,513,000 after acquiring an additional 196,475 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,328,587,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 3,443,454 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $752,877,000 after purchasing an additional 32,118 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.5% during the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,901,598 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $634,405,000 after purchasing an additional 43,462 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $208.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Evercore ISI lowered 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. Bank of America restated an “underperform” rating and issued a $181.00 price objective (down previously from $243.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $191.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 price objective for the company. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $218.82.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the business’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 owned 87,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,977,231.82. The trade was a 19.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

MMC stock opened at $182.39 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $89.35 billion, a PE ratio of 21.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.76. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $183.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $194.56. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $174.18 and a 12-month high of $248.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 29th will be issued a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 29th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.17%.

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.