HighTower Advisors LLC Has $63.80 Million Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan by 2.4% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holding to 343,890 shares valued at about $63.8 million.
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares in early March for roughly $3.05 million, reducing his direct ownership by 12.48%.
• The company recently posted better-than-expected earnings, with EPS of $3.29 versus $3.21 expected, and it continues to pay a quarterly dividend of $0.90 per share for a 2.2% yield.

HighTower Advisors LLC grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 2.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 343,890 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 8,041 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC owned 0.07% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $63,798,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. City Holding Co. bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.38% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Citigroup upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and issued a $200.00 price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, January 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $205.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $163.66 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $78.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.46, a P/E/G 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. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $158.16 and a 12-month high of $235.78. The stock's fifty day moving average is $168.84.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

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

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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