Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Shares Bought by Rathbones Group PLC

Rathbones Group PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 5.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,332,148 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 67,901 shares during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies comprises about 0.8% of Rathbones Group PLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position. Rathbones Group PLC owned about 0.27% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $247,140,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quilter Plc lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 12.7% during the fourth quarter. Quilter Plc now owns 456,857 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $84,756,000 after buying an additional 51,478 shares during the period. WestHill Financial Advisors Inc. increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 215.7% during the fourth quarter. WestHill Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 6,731 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,249,000 after purchasing an additional 4,599 shares during the last quarter. eCIO Inc. purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $134,000. Sylvest Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $650,000. Finally, JB Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 32.2% during the 4th quarter. JB Capital LLC now owns 27,414 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,086,000 after buying an additional 6,672 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on MRSH shares. Weiss Ratings initiated coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. They set a “hold (c)” rating for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $200.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, January 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Evercore decreased 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, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $212.06.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $174.49 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $84.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.75. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $175.70. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $164.89 and a 52-week high of $248.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 31.60%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.87 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. 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 payout ratio is 42.70%.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the company’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 value of $3,052,861.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.35% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.