AXQ Capital LP Purchases Shares of 13,767 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• AXQ Capital LP initiated a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, buying 13,767 shares worth about $2.55 million. The stake is now its 9th largest holding and represents 0.6% of the portfolio.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with 87.99% of the stock held by institutional investors. Several large firms, including Vanguard and Wellington Management, also added to their positions recently.
• Analysts are cautious overall: Marsh & McLennan has a consensus Hold rating and an average price target of $203.56, after several firms trimmed targets in recent notes. CEO John Q. Doyle also sold 16,655 shares in March.

AXQ Capital LP bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm bought 13,767 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $2,554,000. Marsh & McLennan Companies makes up 0.6% of AXQ Capital LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MRSH. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $8,643,309,000 after buying an additional 387,100 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 21,538,014 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $4,340,556,000 after purchasing an additional 96,436 shares during the period. Capital International Investors grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,590,697 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,745,889,000 after purchasing an additional 221,033 shares during the period. Capital World Investors grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,702,898 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,567,410,000 after purchasing an additional 92,767 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,091,478 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,041,386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,260,434 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Piper Sandler cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Mizuho cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 13th. 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 company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $203.56.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:MRSH opened at $162.44 on Tuesday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $164.41 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $171.56. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $157.74 and a twelve month high of $235.78. The stock has a market cap of $78.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.30, a PEG ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current 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 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.Marsh & McLennan Companies's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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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