3,905,686 Shares in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Acquired by Mawer Investment Management Ltd.

Key Points

• Mawer Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter, purchasing 3,905,686 shares valued at about $724.6 million. The position represents roughly 4.1% of Mawer’s portfolio and about 0.80% of the company.
• Analysts are mixed on MRSH: recent rating changes included cuts from Bank of America and Mizuho, while Citigroup and Raymond James turned more bullish. The stock’s overall consensus remains “Hold” with an average price target of $203.56.
• Marsh & McLennan recently beat quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $3.29 EPS versus the $3.21 estimate and revenue of $7.30 billion, up 7.6% year over year. However, the stock has been trading below its 200-day average, with shares recently opening at $162.44.

Mawer Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 3,905,686 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $724,583,000. Marsh & McLennan Companies makes up about 4.1% of Mawer Investment Management Ltd.'s holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. owned about 0.80% of Marsh & McLennan Companies at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MRSH. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,856,000 after buying an additional 2,960 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC lifted its stake in 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 valued at $651,000 after buying an additional 869 shares in the last quarter. Glenview Trust co raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.8% in the second quarter. Glenview Trust co now owns 3,897 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $852,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% in the second quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 927 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $203,000 after purchasing an additional 922 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,307,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on MRSH shares. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of 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. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $203.56.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of MRSH opened at $162.44 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $164.41 and a 200-day moving average of $171.56. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $157.74 and a one year high of $235.78. The company has a market cap of $78.47 billion, a PE ratio of 20.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

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 company had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies's revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were 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 owned 116,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

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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