Comerica Bank Lowers Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Comerica Bank trimmed its stake in Marsh & McLennan by 6.0% in Q4, selling 7,807 shares and leaving 123,365 shares valued at about $22.89 million, while institutional investors own roughly 87.99% of the stock.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but consensus is "Hold" with a $205.33 average target; several firms have recently adjusted price targets (e.g., JPMorgan and Wells Fargo cut targets, while others issued neutral/market-perform ratings).
• Recent results and payouts: MMCo. reported Q EPS of $3.29 (beating $3.21 consensus) on $7.30B revenue (up 7.6% year-over-year), announced a $0.90 quarterly dividend (2.1% yield), and the stock trades around $170.31 versus a 52-week range of $164.89–$235.78.

Comerica Bank trimmed its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 6.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 123,365 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 7,807 shares during the quarter. Comerica Bank's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $22,887,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $8,643,309,000 after purchasing an additional 387,100 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% in the third 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 holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% in the third 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 lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% during the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,702,898 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,567,410,000 after buying an additional 92,767 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% during the third 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 buying an additional 1,260,434 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRSH has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $205.33.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE MRSH opened at $170.31 on Tuesday. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $173.87. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $164.89 and a 52 week high of $235.78. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $82.06 billion, a PE ratio of 21.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.75.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is presently 45.00%.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 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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