Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund Buys New Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Fjarde AP Fonden disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, buying 213,231 shares worth about $39.6 million.
• Other institutional investors also increased or initiated positions, and overall 87.99% of the stock is now held by institutions and hedge funds.
• Marsh & McLennan reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $3.29 per share on $7.3 billion in revenue, while analysts currently rate the stock a Hold with an average price target of $203.56.

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund bought 213,231 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $39,559,000.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MRSH. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake 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 purchasing an additional 2,960 shares during the period. Bison Wealth LLC increased its holdings in 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 worth $651,000 after acquiring an additional 869 shares in the last quarter. Glenview Trust co increased its holdings in 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 worth $852,000 after acquiring an additional 379 shares in the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in 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 worth $203,000 after acquiring an additional 922 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter worth $1,307,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 2.5%

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $165.37 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $156.60 and a 52-week high of $231.36. The firm has a market cap of $79.89 billion, a PE ratio of 20.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.62. 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 (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (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 during the quarter. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 owned 116,811 shares of the company's stock, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRSH has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target 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. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $225.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. One investment 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 assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $203.56.

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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