Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Shares Purchased by Horizon Investments LLC

Key Points

• Horizon Investments LLC increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan by 39.9% during Q4 to 38,255 shares, valued at about $7.10 million.
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares at an average price of $183.30—reducing his holding by 12.48%—and corporate insiders now own just 0.38% of the stock.
• Analysts' consensus is a Hold with an average price target of $205.33; the company recently beat EPS estimates ($3.29 vs. $3.21) and announced a $0.90 quarterly dividend (2.2% yield).

Horizon Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 39.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 38,255 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 10,910 shares during the period. Horizon Investments LLC's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $7,097,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,856,000 after buying an additional 2,960 shares during the period. Bison Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% during 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 raised its stake 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 valued at $852,000 after acquiring an additional 379 shares in the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in 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 valued at $203,000 after purchasing an additional 922 shares during the period. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,307,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MRSH shares. Mizuho decreased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and set a $200.00 target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $225.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $205.33.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 0.8%

MRSH stock opened at $166.38 on Friday. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $173.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $80.16 billion, a PE ratio of 20.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.65. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $164.89 and a fifty-two week high of $235.78.

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 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 EPS 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. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is 45.00%.

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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