Mariner LLC Buys Shares of 432,621 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Mariner LLC disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, buying 432,621 shares valued at about $80.3 million. The position represented roughly 0.09% of the company.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with 87.99% of Marsh & McLennan shares held by institutions and hedge funds. Several other firms also opened small new positions during the quarter.
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares in a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 transaction, while the company reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, including $3.29 EPS versus estimates of $3.21 and 7.6% revenue growth year over year.

Mariner LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 432,621 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $80,268,000. Mariner LLC owned approximately 0.09% of Marsh & McLennan Companies as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Solstein Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Finally, City Holding Co. purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value of $2,693,441.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $166.06 on Tuesday. 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, Inc. has a 1 year low of $156.60 and a 1 year high of $220.32. The firm has a market cap of $80.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.62.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $225.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Citigroup raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $200.19.

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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