Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. Purchases Shares of 231,301 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. initiated a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, buying 231,301 shares worth about $42.9 million in the fourth quarter.
• The company’s latest earnings beat expectations, with Q1 EPS of $3.29 versus the $3.21 consensus and revenue up 7.6% year over year to $7.30 billion.
• Wall Street remains cautious overall: analysts have a consensus Hold rating on MRSH, though several firms recently raised targets or upgraded the stock, with an average price target of $203.56.

Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 231,301 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $42,935,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MRSH. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,856,000 after acquiring an additional 2,960 shares during the period. Bison Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% in the 4th quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $651,000 after acquiring an additional 869 shares during the period. Glenview Trust co grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.8% in the 2nd quarter. Glenview Trust co now owns 3,897 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $852,000 after acquiring an additional 379 shares during the period. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% in the 2nd quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 927 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $203,000 after acquiring an additional 922 shares during the period. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,307,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of MRSH stock opened at $159.73 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $77.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.97, a PEG ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $164.87 and a 200 day simple moving average of $172.02. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $157.74 and a 52 week high of $235.78.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Citigroup raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised 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 report on Tuesday, February 17th. One 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 issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $203.56.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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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