Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Shares Purchased by Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.

Key Points

• Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan by 26.4% in Q3, buying 28,419 shares to hold 136,179 shares worth about $27.44 million, and institutional investors now own roughly 88% of the stock.
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares on March 4 at about $183.30 for ~$3.05 million, cutting his ownership by 12.48% (company insiders own 0.35% of the stock).
• Financials and payouts: the company beat quarterly EPS and revenue estimates ($2.12 vs. $1.97 EPS; $6.60B revenue), declared a $0.90 quarterly dividend ($3.60 annual, ~2.1% yield), and holds a consensus analyst rating of "Hold" with an average target of $216.12.

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 26.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 136,179 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 28,419 shares during the period. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.'s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $27,444,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,158,562 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $10,092,108,000 after purchasing an additional 837,117 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% in the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,590,697 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,745,889,000 after buying an additional 221,033 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,702,898 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,567,410,000 after buying an additional 92,767 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 9,861,067 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,987,301,000 after acquiring an additional 68,826 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,328,587,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of MRSH stock opened at $172.18 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $170.37 and a 1 year high of $248.00. The firm has a market cap of $83.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.87 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio is currently 42.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Mizuho reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $199.00 price objective (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings started coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Thursday, January 29th. They issued a "hold (c)" rating on the stock. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $225.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $216.12.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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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