Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd Increases Stock Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 5.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 122,894 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 6,860 shares during the quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $24,767,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Cambria Investment Management L.P. acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $215,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter valued at $30,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 49,608 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $9,997,000 after acquiring an additional 362 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter worth about $14,946,000. Finally, Achmea Investment Management B.V. increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.2% in the third quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V. now owns 29,967 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $6,040,000 after purchasing an additional 1,217 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRSH has been the subject of a number of recent research 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 report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings started coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Thursday, January 29th. They issued a “hold (c)” rating on the stock. Mizuho reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $199.00 price objective (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $216.12.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.1%

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $171.13 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $82.85 billion, a PE ratio of 20.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $178.38. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $164.89 and a 52 week high of $248.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.87 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 42.70%.

Marsh & McLennan Companies 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.