Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. Sells 3,314 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. trimmed its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 2.4% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 133,179 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 3,314 shares during the quarter. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $24,707,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 8.7% during the 4th quarter. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,040 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $750,000 after acquiring an additional 322 shares during the period. Rathbones Group PLC increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 1,332,148 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $247,140,000 after purchasing an additional 67,901 shares in the last quarter. Quilter Plc increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. Quilter Plc now owns 456,857 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $84,756,000 after purchasing an additional 51,478 shares in the last quarter. WestHill Financial Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 215.7% during the 4th quarter. WestHill Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 6,731 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,249,000 after purchasing an additional 4,599 shares in the last quarter. Finally, eCIO Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $134,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies 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 in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.1%

MRSH opened at $174.98 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The firm has a market cap of $84.71 billion, a PE ratio of 20.76, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.75. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $164.89 and a 1-year high of $239.34. The company has a 50-day moving average of $175.26.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 31.60%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.87 EPS. 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 firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is currently 42.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on MRSH shares. Cantor Fitzgerald increased 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 report on Monday, February 2nd. Evercore dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Mizuho reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $199.00 target price (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $211.75.

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.