Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Shares Purchased by Danske Bank A S

Key Points

• Danske Bank increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan by 6.8% in Q4 to 276,484 shares, worth about $51.3 million (roughly a 0.06% ownership).
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares on March 4 for about $3.05 million, cutting his holding by 12.48%; company insiders now own ~0.38% of the stock.
• Marsh & McLennan beat Q1 estimates with EPS of $3.29 (vs. $3.21) and $7.30 billion in revenue (up 7.6% YoY), announced a $0.90 quarterly dividend (2.2% yield), and carries a consensus analyst rating of Hold with a $205.33 price target.

Danske Bank A S increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 6.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 276,484 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 17,670 shares during the quarter. Danske Bank A S owned approximately 0.06% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $51,293,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MRSH. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. City Holding Co. purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, TruNorth Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business'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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $166.38 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $80.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $164.89 and a 52-week high of $235.78. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $173.42.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 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 company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Raymond James Financial raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $225.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Citigroup raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $205.33.

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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