Gotham Asset Management LLC Buys Shares of 241,655 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Gotham Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 241,655 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $44,832,000.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $8,643,309,000 after acquiring an additional 387,100 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% in 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 purchasing an additional 92,767 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,091,478 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,041,386,000 after buying an additional 1,260,434 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 1.5%

Shares of MRSH stock opened at $164.26 on Thursday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $156.60 and a 12 month high of $220.32. 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 company has a market cap of $79.35 billion, a PE ratio of 20.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.62.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MRSH. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Mizuho reduced their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 13th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Citigroup raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $200.19.

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.