Handelsbanken Fonder AB Purchases 6,717 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.6% in the fourth quarter, buying 6,717 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 195,656 shares worth about $36.3 million.
• Marsh & McLennan reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $3.29 per share, topping estimates, with revenue rising 7.6% year over year to $7.30 billion.
• The company recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.90 per share, equal to an annualized yield of 2.2%, while analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold with an average price target of $205.

Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 3.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 195,656 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 6,717 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $36,298,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Numerai GP LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 966.2% in the 3rd quarter. Numerai GP LLC now owns 37,220 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $7,501,000 after buying an additional 33,729 shares during the last quarter. Rockland Trust Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 801.6% in the 3rd quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 12,073 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,433,000 after buying an additional 10,734 shares during the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.5% in the 4th quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 134,542 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $24,960,000 after buying an additional 11,648 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 41.7% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,202,372 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $443,844,000 after buying an additional 647,987 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bridges Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.4% during 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 purchasing an additional 3,177 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $165.98 on Wednesday. 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 $79.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 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 stock has a 50-day moving average price of $169.23.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on MRSH shares. Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $205.00.

Insider Activity

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 value of $3,052,861.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

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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