Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Sells 73,473 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. lessened its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 10.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 644,170 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 73,473 shares during the period. Epoch Investment Partners Inc.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $111,731,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. PFG Investments LLC raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 1,758 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $326,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,673 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $306,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 8,337 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,823,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. MMA Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. MMA Asset Management LLC now owns 4,083 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $757,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Finally, Clear Creek Financial Management LLC grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC now owns 1,449 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $269,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

NYSE MRSH opened at $180.66 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $156.60 and a 12 month high of $213.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.14. The company has a market capitalization of $86.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.24% and a return on equity of 32.67%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.99 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. This is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 48.41%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRSH has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Bank of America reduced their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $201.69.

Marsh & McLennan Companies 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.