R Squared Ltd Boosts Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

R Squared Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 77.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,685 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,651 shares during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies makes up about 0.9% of R Squared Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest position. R Squared Ltd’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $1,982,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MRSH. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,856,000 after acquiring an additional 2,960 shares during the period. Bison Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% in the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $651,000 after purchasing an additional 869 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Trust co increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.8% in the second quarter. Glenview Trust co now owns 3,897 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $852,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% in the second quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 927 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $203,000 after purchasing an additional 922 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth about $1,307,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $170.31 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $82.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $173.87. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $164.89 and a 52-week high of $235.78.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 45.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Raymond James Financial raised 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. Mizuho cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $205.33.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.