Ameritas Advisory Services LLC Increases Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Ameritas Advisory Services LLC sharply increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 903.8% in the fourth quarter, ending with 7,649 shares valued at about $1.42 million. Other institutional investors also added to their positions, and hedge funds now own 87.99% of the stock.
• Marsh & McLennan reported strong quarterly results, posting EPS of $3.29 versus the $3.21 estimate and revenue of $7.30 billion, up 7.6% year over year. The company also said it expects about 10.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.90 per share, or $3.60 annualized, yielding about 2.3%. Meanwhile, analysts are mixed on the stock, with a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $205.

Ameritas Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 903.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,649 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 6,887 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $1,419,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. grew its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.6% in the 4th quarter. Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. now owns 2,684 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $498,000 after buying an additional 235 shares during the last quarter. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH now owns 6,791 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,260,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Washington Trust Bank boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Washington Trust Bank now owns 79,317 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $14,715,000 after purchasing an additional 929 shares during the last quarter. Bailard Inc. boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 8.1% during the 4th quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 1,663 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $309,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 6.2% during the 4th quarter. AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs now owns 19,682 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,651,000 after purchasing an additional 1,156 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $159.99 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $77.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.65. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $170.18. 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 twelve month low of $158.16 and a twelve month high of $235.78.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. The company 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 quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on MRSH shares. Bank of America cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Raymond James Financial upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $225.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Barclays lowered their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $205.00.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value 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 $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Marsh & McLennan Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Marsh & McLennan reported strong first-quarter results earlier this year, beating EPS expectations and posting 7.6% revenue growth, which supports the company’s fundamentals and may help limit downside.
• Neutral Sentiment: No major new operating update or earnings release for MRSH was included in the latest news batch, so today’s move appears more tied to broader trading dynamics than to a fresh company announcement.
• Negative Sentiment: The stock is trading close to its 12-month low and remains below its 50-day moving average, which can signal weak technical momentum and may weigh on investor sentiment.

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.

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