Natixis Advisors LLC Has $196.38 Million Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.0%, owning 804,753 shares valued at $196.4 million as of the most recent SEC filing.
• Analysts have recently adjusted price targets, with the average target now at $239.79 and a consensus rating of "Hold." Some ratings include a downgrade from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, and an upgrade by Jefferies Financial Group.
• Marsh & McLennan Companies declared a quarterly dividend of $0.90, up from the previous $0.82, with an annualized yield of 1.78% and a payout ratio of 43.17%.

Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Free Report) by 2.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 804,753 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 16,022 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.16% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $196,384,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MMC. Parisi Gray Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $947,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 101.7% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 103,551 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $25,270,000 after buying an additional 52,218 shares in the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 101.4% in the 1st quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 7,136 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,741,000 after buying an additional 3,593 shares in the last quarter. US Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 23.1% in the 1st quarter. US Asset Management LLC now owns 6,847 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,671,000 after buying an additional 1,284 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Annex Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Annex Advisory Services LLC now owns 63,300 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $15,447,000 after buying an additional 1,288 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on MMC. 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 dropped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $214.00 to $210.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 21st. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $261.00 to $258.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $239.79.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MMC traded down $1.44 during trading on Friday, reaching $197.76. The company had a trading volume of 3,514,400 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,589,960. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $196.27 and a 52 week high of $248.00. The stock has a market cap of $97.22 billion, a PE ratio of 23.71, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a current ratio of 1.20. The business's 50 day moving average price is $217.26 and its 200-day moving average price is $224.37.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 16.00% and a return on equity of 31.90%. The company had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.92 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.41 EPS. Marsh & McLennan Companies's revenue was up 12.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. This is an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 24th. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio is presently 43.17%.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.