Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Shares Sold by Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC

Key Points

• Chevy Chase Trust Holdings reduced its stake in Marsh & McLennan by 3.7% in Q3, selling 9,555 shares and leaving it with 251,599 shares valued at about $50.7 million (~0.05% of the company).
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares on March 4 at an average price of $183.30 for roughly $3.05 million, cutting his holdings to 116,811 shares (a 12.48% decrease).
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.90 per share (annualized $3.60), payable May 15 with an ex-dividend/record date of April 9, implying a yield of about 2.1% and a payout ratio of 42.7%.

Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 251,599 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 9,555 shares during the period. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC owned approximately 0.05% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $50,705,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 31.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 214 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% in the third quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 4,514 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $910,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Co. raised its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 6.7% during the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Co. now owns 949 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $207,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.8% during the third quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 3,663 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $736,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. Finally, Procyon Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.0% during the third quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 2,223 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $448,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of MRSH opened at $172.18 on Monday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $170.37 and a twelve month high of $248.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The stock has a market cap of $83.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.74.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. The business 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.87 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRSH has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings started coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. They issued a "hold (c)" rating for the company. Citigroup boosted their target price 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. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $203.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Mizuho reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $199.00 price objective (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, February 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $216.12.

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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