Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC Position Increased by FORA Capital LLC

Key Points

• FORA Capital LLC increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. by 379.3% during the first quarter, owning 4,927 shares valued at $1.2 million.
• Recent analyst reports indicate a decrease in target prices for Marsh & McLennan, with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reducing their target from $214 to $210 and setting an "underperform" rating.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend increase from $0.82 to $0.90, representing an annual yield of 1.7%.

FORA Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Free Report) by 379.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,927 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 3,899 shares during the period. FORA Capital LLC's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $1,202,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Accent Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Knuff & Co LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. City Holding Co. acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Capital Analysts LLC lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 61.0% in the 1st quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 169 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MMC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $214.00 to $210.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 21st. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $249.00 to $233.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 7th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 18th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $226.00 target price for the company. Finally, UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $261.00 to $258.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 21st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $238.76.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.0%

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $206.49 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $101.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.77. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $196.27 and a 1-year high of $248.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $209.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $222.59.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 17th. The financial services provider reported $2.72 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.66 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $6.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.92 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 16.00% and a return on equity of 31.90%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 12.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.41 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 24th were issued a $0.90 dividend. This is a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 24th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is 43.17%.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company Profile

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services.

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