Praxis Investment Management Inc. Acquires Shares of 13,432 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Praxis Investment Management opened a new position in Marsh & McLennan, buying 13,432 shares valued at about $2.33 million in the first quarter.
• The company’s latest earnings beat expectations, with EPS of $3.29 versus the $3.21 consensus, while quarterly revenue rose 7.6% year over year to $7.30 billion.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Citigroup upgraded the stock to buy, but the overall consensus is still Hold with an average target price of about $200.19.

Praxis Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 13,432 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $2,330,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MRSH. Brighton Jones LLC increased 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 purchasing an additional 2,960 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% during the 4th quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $651,000 after buying an additional 869 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Trust co raised 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 worth $852,000 after acquiring an additional 379 shares during the period. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% in 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 during the period. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,307,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 0.2%

MRSH stock opened at $178.13 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $86.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $156.60 and a fifty-two week high of $216.32.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on MRSH. Citigroup upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 13th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their target price 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 equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $200.19.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

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

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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