Rathbones Group PLC Buys 67,901 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Rathbones Group PLC raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 5.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,332,148 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 67,901 shares during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies comprises 0.8% of Rathbones Group PLC’s holdings, making the stock its 28th largest position. Rathbones Group PLC owned 0.27% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $247,140,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 21,538,014 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $4,340,556,000 after purchasing an additional 96,436 shares during the period. Capital International Investors grew its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% in the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,590,697 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,745,889,000 after acquiring an additional 221,033 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% during the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,702,898 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,567,410,000 after acquiring an additional 92,767 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,091,478 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,041,386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,260,434 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 9,861,067 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,987,301,000 after purchasing an additional 68,826 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup raised their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. 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 research report on Friday, January 30th. Mizuho restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $199.00 target price (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Evercore reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $212.06.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.1%

MRSH opened at $174.49 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $84.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $175.70. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $164.89 and a 1-year high of $248.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $6.60 billion for 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 revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.87 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 42.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies 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 value of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

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.