ING Groep NV Acquires Shares of 22,613 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• ING Groep NV disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in Marsh & McLennan, buying 22,613 shares valued at about $4.2 million.
• Institutional interest in the company remains high, with several other funds increasing positions and 87.99% of the stock now owned by institutional investors.
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares in a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 transaction, while the stock recently traded at $162.35 and the company reported earnings that beat estimates in its latest quarter.

ING Groep NV acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 22,613 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $4,195,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,856,000 after acquiring an additional 2,960 shares during the period. Bison Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% in the fourth 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 during the period. Glenview Trust co boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.8% in the second 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 during the period. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% in the second 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 during the period. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth $1,307,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $18,889,506.81. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

NYSE:MRSH opened at $162.35 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $78.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.62. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $156.60 and a 52-week high of $229.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. The company 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%.Marsh & McLennan Companies's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on 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. Citigroup raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on 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 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. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus 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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