Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC Sells 16,015 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Hardman Johnston Global Advisors cut its stake in Marsh & McLennan by 10% in Q4, selling 16,015 shares and leaving it with 143,970 shares valued at $26.71 million (about 1.3% of the firm's portfolio, its 23rd largest holding).
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares on March 4 at an average of $183.30 for roughly $3.05 million, reducing his position by 12.48%; corporate insiders now own about 0.35% of the stock.
• Marsh & McLennan reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter (vs. $1.97 expected) with revenue of $6.60 billion (+8.7% YoY), and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.90 ($3.60 annual, ~2.1% yield).

Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC decreased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 10.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 143,970 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 16,015 shares during the period. Marsh & McLennan Companies accounts for about 1.3% of Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $26,709,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 21,538,014 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $4,340,556,000 after purchasing an additional 96,436 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,590,697 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,745,889,000 after purchasing an additional 221,033 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,702,898 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,567,410,000 after purchasing an additional 92,767 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,091,478 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,041,386,000 after buying an additional 1,260,434 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors raised its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 9,861,067 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,987,301,000 after buying an additional 68,826 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:MRSH opened at $168.09 on Monday. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $173.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $164.89 and a fifty-two week high of $239.34. The firm has a market cap of $81.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.94, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.75.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 31.60%. The company had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.87 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio is currently 42.70%.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.35% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRSH has been the topic of several research 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. 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 on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 6th. Weiss Ratings initiated coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Thursday, January 29th. They set a "hold (c)" rating on the stock. Finally, Mizuho reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $199.00 price target (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, February 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $206.00.

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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