Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Trims Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund decreased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 55.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 248,408 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 303,959 shares during the quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund owned approximately 0.05% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $43,086,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. PFG Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 1,758 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $326,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,673 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $306,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. EP Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% in the second quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 8,337 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,823,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. MMA Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. MMA Asset Management LLC now owns 4,083 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $757,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clear Creek Financial Management LLC lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC now owns 1,449 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $269,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 2.4%

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $180.66 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.11. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $156.60 and a fifty-two week high of $213.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $86.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.09, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $7.28 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.67% and a net margin of 14.24%.The business's revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be paid a $0.99 dividend. This is a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio is presently 48.41%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on MRSH. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Citigroup lowered shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $200.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $201.69.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value of $2,693,441.76. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate 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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