Van ECK Associates Corp Increases Stock Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 101,438 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,629 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $20,443,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Hanson & Doremus Investment Management raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 31.3% during the third quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 214 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MRSH. Weiss Ratings initiated coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. They issued a “hold (c)” rating on the stock. Mizuho reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $199.00 price objective (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, 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 note on Friday, January 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $216.12.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock traded up $1.06 during trading on Friday, reaching $171.94. 174,911 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,982,236. The company has a market cap of $83.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.42, a PEG ratio of 2.37 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. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $170.37 and a 52-week high of $248.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 analysts’ expectations of $6.52 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.87 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction 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. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

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.