Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC Takes $1.85 Million Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 11,106 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,851,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Solstein Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on MRSH shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $216.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $201.94.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Lloyd M. Yates sold 12,000 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.65, for a total value of $2,107,800.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 12,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,107,975.65. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Martin South sold 7,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.99, for a total transaction of $1,348,929.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 16,632 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,159,913.68. This represents a 29.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 36,469 shares of company stock valued at $6,291,345 over the last 90 days. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of MRSH opened at $187.75 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $89.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.59. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $177.66. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $156.60 and a 12 month high of $213.80.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.24% and a return on equity of 32.67%. The company’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.99 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. This is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

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.