16,665 Shares in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Bought by Essex LLC

Key Points

• Essex LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter, acquiring 16,665 shares valued at about $2.89 million.
• Institutional ownership remains heavy, with 87.99% of the stock held by institutions and hedge funds. Several other investors also added to their positions, while CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares in a pre-arranged transaction.
• Analysts have turned a bit more cautious, trimming price targets even as the stock still carries a Hold consensus rating. Marsh & McLennan recently beat quarterly EPS estimates and reported 7.6% revenue growth year over year.

Essex LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 16,665 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $2,891,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MRSH. USS Investment Management Ltd boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd now owns 84,645 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $14,680,000 after acquiring an additional 3,271 shares in the last quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd raised its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.4% during the 1st quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 97,885 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $16,978,000 after acquiring an additional 3,194 shares in the last quarter. Key Financial Inc lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 344.1% during the first quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 493 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $86,000 after purchasing an additional 382 shares during the last quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter valued at approximately $264,000. Finally, First Pacific Financial purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRSH has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $203.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Weiss Ratings lowered Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $200.19.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 3.1%

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $171.84 on Thursday. The stock 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, Inc. has a 52-week low of $156.60 and a 52-week high of $217.07. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect 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.

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