4,882 Shares in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Acquired by WBI Investments LLC

WBI Investments LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor bought 4,882 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $984,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in MRSH. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,856,000 after acquiring an additional 2,960 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% in the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $651,000 after purchasing an additional 869 shares during the last quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 29.8% in the second quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,172 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $256,000 after purchasing an additional 269 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.0% during the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 108,347 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $23,689,000 after purchasing an additional 4,159 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Avantax Advisory Services Inc. grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 29,723 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $6,499,000 after buying an additional 428 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $171.96 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $170.37 and a 52-week high of $248.00. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $179.06. The stock has a market cap of $83.25 billion, a PE ratio of 20.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.74.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 31.60%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.87 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a $0.90 dividend. 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%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was 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 directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped 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. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Evercore dropped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $216.12.

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.