Nuveen LLC Invests $715.77 Million in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Nuveen LLC disclosed a new fourth-quarter position in Marsh & McLennan, buying 3,858,156 shares valued at about $715.8 million and representing roughly 0.80% of the company.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with 87.99% of Marsh & McLennan held by hedge funds and other investors, while CEO John Q. Doyle recently sold 16,656 shares in a pre-arranged trade.
• Analysts are mixed but generally cautious: the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” with an average price target of $200.19, even as the company recently beat quarterly EPS estimates and posted 7.6% revenue growth year over year.

Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 3,858,156 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $715,765,000. Nuveen LLC owned approximately 0.80% of Marsh & McLennan Companies at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,856,000 after acquiring an additional 2,960 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC grew its stake in 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 valued at $651,000 after acquiring an additional 869 shares in the last quarter. Glenview Trust co grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.8% during 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. grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% during the second quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 927 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $203,000 after acquiring an additional 922 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter valued at $1,307,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on MRSH. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $203.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $200.19.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.6%

MRSH stock opened at $168.20 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $156.60 and a 12 month high of $220.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The stock has a market cap of $81.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.02, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.62.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. The firm's revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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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