Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC Shares Purchased by Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 35.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 191,398 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 50,369 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $39,015,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,158,562 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $10,092,108,000 after acquiring an additional 837,117 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.6% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,684,210 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,762,513,000 after purchasing an additional 196,475 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,328,587,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 3,443,454 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $752,877,000 after buying an additional 32,118 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.5% in the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,901,598 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $634,405,000 after purchasing an additional 43,462 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on MMC. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $213.00 to $200.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $191.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $208.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $211.00 to $201.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $218.82.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.22, for a total value of $3,841,015.38. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 87,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,977,231.82. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 1.7%

Shares of MMC stock opened at $182.39 on Wednesday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $174.18 and a 1-year high of $248.00. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $183.73 and its 200-day simple moving average is $194.56. The firm has a market cap of $89.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.87, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.12.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 29th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 29th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is currently 43.17%.

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.