Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Sells 139,041 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Pictet Asset Management trimmed its stake in Marsh & McLennan by 24.9%, selling 139,041 shares and retaining 418,961 shares worth about $77.7 million (≈0.09% of the company) per its latest 13F filing.
• Several large institutions materially increased positions—most notably Ninety One UK and Assenagon—leaving institutional ownership at roughly 88% of the stock.
• Marsh & McLennan recently beat quarterly EPS estimates ($3.29 vs. $3.21), reported 7.6% revenue growth, announced a quarterly dividend of $0.90 (2.1% yield), and trades around $170.71 versus a MarketBeat consensus price target of $205.33 (analysts' average rating: Hold).

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA trimmed its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 24.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 418,961 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 139,041 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA owned about 0.09% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $77,728,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ninety One UK Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 163.0% in the 4th quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 3,542,004 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $657,113,000 after purchasing an additional 2,195,201 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9,455.4% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,520,164 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $282,021,000 after purchasing an additional 1,504,255 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,091,478 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,041,386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,260,434 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 654.7% in the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,419,104 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $285,992,000 after purchasing an additional 1,231,059 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 29.7% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,293,188 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $663,676,000 after purchasing an additional 753,828 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRSH has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Raymond James Financial raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $225.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Evercore dropped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $205.33.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.1%

MRSH stock opened at $170.71 on Wednesday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $173.78. The company has a market cap of $82.25 billion, a PE ratio of 21.34, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $164.89 and a 1 year high of $235.78.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The company's revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio is 45.00%.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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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