Victory Capital Management Inc. Decreases Stock Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Victory Capital Management Inc. reduced its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 2.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 195,491 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 5,391 shares during the quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $39,397,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter worth $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Hanson & Doremus Investment Management raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 31.3% in the third quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 214 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $183.43 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $170.37 and a 12 month high of $248.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $88.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.74.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.87 EPS. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th 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 is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Mizuho reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $199.00 price objective (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, February 27th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $216.18.

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.