Polar Capital Holdings Plc Acquires New Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Polar Capital Holdings disclosed a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, buying 965,000 shares worth about $179 million in the fourth quarter and ending with roughly 0.20% ownership.
• The article also notes heavy institutional ownership in MRSH, with several other large investors increasing their stakes while institutions overall own 87.99% of the company.
• Marsh & McLennan reported solid quarterly results, beating EPS estimates with $3.29 per share and posting 7.6% year-over-year revenue growth, but analysts currently rate the stock a Hold on average.

Polar Capital Holdings Plc acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 965,000 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $179,027,000. Polar Capital Holdings Plc owned about 0.20% of Marsh & McLennan Companies at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Numerai GP LLC increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 966.2% during the 3rd quarter. Numerai GP LLC now owns 37,220 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $7,501,000 after purchasing an additional 33,729 shares during the period. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.5% during the 4th quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 134,542 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $24,960,000 after purchasing an additional 11,648 shares during the period. Barclays PLC increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 41.7% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,202,372 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $443,844,000 after purchasing an additional 647,987 shares during the period. Sarasin & Partners LLP grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 934,732 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $173,411,000 after buying an additional 8,283 shares during the period. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 26.4% during the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 136,179 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $27,444,000 after buying an additional 28,419 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value of $2,693,441.76. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $18,889,506.81. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of MRSH opened at $166.67 on Wednesday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $156.60 and a 12-month high of $220.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $80.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.83, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.62.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last issued 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. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The company had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on MRSH shares. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $182.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $200.19.

Marsh & McLennan Companies 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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