Merit Financial Group LLC Increases Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC)

Merit Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Free Report) by 16.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 20,262 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 2,877 shares during the quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $4,945,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Transce3nd LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $41,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on MMC. UBS Group raised their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $259.00 to $261.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 21st. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $223.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $246.00 to $249.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, April 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $241.93.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

MMC traded down $3.71 during trading on Thursday, hitting $228.61. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,764,441 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,921,315. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $206.25 and a one year high of $248.00. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $228.34 and its 200-day simple moving average is $225.60. The firm has a market cap of $112.64 billion, a PE ratio of 27.91, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.04. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.60% and a net margin of 16.60%. The business had revenue of $6.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.08 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.89 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 3rd were issued a $0.815 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 3rd. This represents a $3.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.43%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.95%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, VP Stacy Mills sold 1,317 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.97, for a total transaction of $309,455.49. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 2,923 shares in the company, valued at $686,817.31. This trade represents a 31.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Dean Michael Klisura sold 7,121 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.97, for a total transaction of $1,673,221.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 20,935 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,919,096.95. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 69,634 shares of company stock valued at $16,244,986 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.35% of the company's stock.

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.