Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. Invests $1.92 Million in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking opened a new position in Marsh & McLennan during the fourth quarter, buying 10,370 shares valued at about $1.92 million.
• Institutional interest in MRSH remains strong, with several other investors also boosting their stakes and institutions now owning 87.99% of the company.
• Marsh & McLennan reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $3.29 per share and continued to return cash to shareholders with a $0.90 quarterly dividend, yielding about 2.2% annually.

Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 10,370 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,924,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MRSH. Numerai GP LLC increased its stake in 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 valued at $7,501,000 after acquiring an additional 33,729 shares during the last quarter. Rockland Trust Co. increased its stake in 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 valued at $2,433,000 after acquiring an additional 10,734 shares during the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd increased its stake in 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 valued at $24,960,000 after acquiring an additional 11,648 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its stake in 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 valued at $443,844,000 after acquiring an additional 647,987 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bridges Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.4% in the third quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 76,196 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $15,356,000 after acquiring an additional 3,177 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.0%

NYSE MRSH opened at $165.17 on Friday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $168.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $158.16 and a 12-month high of $235.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $79.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.65.

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. Equities analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th were issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio is currently 45.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on MRSH. Weiss Ratings cut Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Raymond James Financial raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $225.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Bank of America reduced their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Mizuho cut their price target 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. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $205.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies 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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