Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Has $175.91 Million Stock Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC

Key Points

• Epoch Investment Partners Inc. increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 25.5%, reaching a total of 720,834 shares, which constitutes approximately 0.9% of its portfolio.
• Marsh & McLennan recently raised its quarterly dividend from $0.82 to $0.90 per share, indicating a positive outlook for its shareholders with an annualized dividend yield of 1.7%.
• Analysts have mixed views on MMC, with six analysts rating it as a Buy and an average price target of $238.76, indicating a generally cautious sentiment towards the stock.

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Free Report) by 25.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 720,834 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 146,644 shares during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies comprises 0.9% of Epoch Investment Partners Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. owned approximately 0.15% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $175,905,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in MMC. Accent Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Knuff & Co LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. City Holding Co. acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Capital Analysts LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 61.0% during the 1st quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 169 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.4%

MMC stock traded down $0.73 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $205.71. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,404,938 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,159,200. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $196.27 and a 52 week high of $248.00. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $209.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $222.29. The stock has a market cap of $101.13 billion, a PE ratio of 24.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.77.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 17th. The financial services provider reported $2.72 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.66 by $0.06. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.90% and a net margin of 16.00%.The company had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.92 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.41 EPS. Marsh & McLennan Companies's revenue was up 12.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 24th were issued a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. This is a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 24th. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 43.17%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on MMC shares. UBS Group decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $261.00 to $258.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 21st. Barclays lowered their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $249.00 to $233.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 7th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 18th. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $256.00 target price for the company. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $226.00 price objective for the company. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $238.76.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services.