Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. Purchases 1,911 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC)

Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Free Report) by 3.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 64,679 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 1,911 shares during the quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.'s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $15,783,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. City Holding Co. acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $37,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Garde Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $42,000. Transce3nd LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, First Pacific Financial boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 133.8% in the 1st quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 187 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:MMC traded down $1.04 on Thursday, reaching $210.94. The company had a trading volume of 3,589,733 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,999,134. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $207.21 and a twelve month high of $248.00. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $221.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $224.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $103.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.85, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 17th. The financial services provider reported $2.72 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.66 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $6.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.92 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.19% and a net margin of 16.13%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 12.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.41 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 24th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 24th. This is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.71%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is presently 44.12%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Tuesday, March 25th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $281.00 target price for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $215.00 to $214.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. UBS Group raised their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $259.00 to $261.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $228.00 to $229.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $240.50.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company Profile

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.