Erste Asset Management GmbH Buys Shares of 28,657 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Erste Asset Management GmbH initiated a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, buying 28,657 shares valued at about $5.36 million in the fourth quarter.
• Marsh & McLennan reported Q1 earnings of $3.29 per share, topping analyst expectations, while revenue rose 7.6% year over year to $7.30 billion.
• Wall Street sentiment remains cautious overall: the stock currently carries a Hold consensus rating with a consensus price target of $200.19, even as CEO John Q. Doyle recently sold shares under a 10b5-1 plan.

Erste Asset Management GmbH bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 28,657 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $5,364,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Numerai GP LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 966.2% in the third quarter. Numerai GP LLC now owns 37,220 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $7,501,000 after purchasing an additional 33,729 shares during the period. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.5% in the fourth quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 134,542 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $24,960,000 after purchasing an additional 11,648 shares during the period. Rockland Trust Co. increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 801.6% in the third quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 12,073 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,433,000 after purchasing an additional 10,734 shares during the period. Barclays PLC increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 41.7% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,202,372 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $443,844,000 after purchasing an additional 647,987 shares during the period. Finally, Sarasin & Partners LLP increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 934,732 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $173,411,000 after purchasing an additional 8,283 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

NYSE MRSH opened at $165.52 on Wednesday. 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, Inc. has a 12-month low of $156.60 and a 12-month high of $222.57. The stock has a market cap of $79.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.62.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRSH has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased 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 report on Thursday, April 9th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $203.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. 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 for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Piper Sandler cut their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $200.19.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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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