Palouse Capital Management Inc. Makes New $2.40 Million Investment in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Palouse Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 13,866 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,405,000. Marsh & McLennan Companies accounts for approximately 1.6% of Palouse Capital Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter worth about $28,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on MRSH. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Citigroup raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 13th. Weiss Ratings cut Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $200.19.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value of $2,693,441.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 3.1%

NYSE:MRSH opened at $171.84 on Thursday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $156.60 and a 52-week high of $217.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The firm has a market cap of $83.02 billion, a PE ratio of 21.48, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The business had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. The company’s revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 EPS for the current year.

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.