16,928 Shares in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Acquired by North Dakota State Investment Board

Key Points

• North Dakota State Investment Board disclosed a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, buying 16,928 shares worth about $3.14 million in the fourth quarter.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $3.29 per share, topping estimates by $0.08, while revenue rose 7.6% year over year to $7.30 billion.
• Marsh & McLennan recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.90 per share, equal to an annualized yield of about 2.2%; meanwhile, analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold with a $205 price target.

North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 16,928 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $3,140,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MRSH. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings 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 worth $1,856,000 after acquiring an additional 2,960 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% during the 4th quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $651,000 after acquiring an additional 869 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Trust co increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.8% during the 2nd quarter. Glenview Trust co now owns 3,897 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $852,000 after acquiring an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% during the 2nd quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 927 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $203,000 after acquiring an additional 922 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,307,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:MRSH opened at $166.04 on Tuesday. The firm's fifty day moving average is $169.32. The company has a market cap of $80.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.65. 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, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $158.16 and a fifty-two week high of $235.78.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th were given a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio is presently 45.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 approximately $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on MRSH shares. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Raymond James Financial raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $225.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $205.00.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.