Annex Advisory Services LLC Has $8.19 Million Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Annex Advisory trimmed its stake by 54.2%, selling 52,239 shares in Q4 and finishing the period with 44,117 shares of Marsh & McLennan worth about $8.19 million.
• Marsh & McLennan beat quarterly expectations, reporting $2.12 EPS versus $1.97 expected and $6.60 billion in revenue (up 8.7% year‑over‑year), with a 15.4% net margin and 31.6% return on equity.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.90 (annualized $3.60) for a yield of ~2.1%, with an ex‑dividend date of April 9 and payment scheduled for May 15.

Annex Advisory Services LLC trimmed its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 54.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 44,117 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 52,239 shares during the period. Annex Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $8,185,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MRSH. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 21,538,014 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $4,340,556,000 after acquiring an additional 96,436 shares during the period. Capital International Investors boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,590,697 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,745,889,000 after purchasing an additional 221,033 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% during the 3rd 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. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,091,478 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,041,386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,260,434 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 9,861,067 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,987,301,000 after purchasing an additional 68,826 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:MRSH opened at $172.84 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. The stock has a market cap of $83.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.75. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $164.89 and a 52 week high of $238.12. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $172.97.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 31.60%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.87 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 42.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $200.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Weiss Ratings initiated coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Thursday, January 29th. They issued a "hold (c)" rating on the stock. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $225.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of 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 investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $205.13.

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.

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