Qsemble Capital Management LP Acquires Shares of 19,894 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Qsemble Capital Management opened a new position in Marsh & McLennan, buying 19,894 shares worth about $3.69 million in the fourth quarter.
• Marsh & McLennan’s latest results topped expectations, with quarterly EPS of $3.29 versus $3.21 expected and revenue rising 7.6% year over year to $7.30 billion.
• The stock has mixed signals: analysts currently have a Hold consensus with a $205 average price target, while the company also paid a $0.90 quarterly dividend yielding about 2.2%.

Qsemble Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 19,894 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $3,691,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MRSH. Numerai GP LLC lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 966.2% in the third quarter. Numerai GP LLC now owns 37,220 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $7,501,000 after buying an additional 33,729 shares during the period. Rockland Trust Co. lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 801.6% in the 3rd quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 12,073 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,433,000 after purchasing an additional 10,734 shares during the period. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.5% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 41.7% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,202,372 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $443,844,000 after purchasing an additional 647,987 shares during the period. Finally, Navera Investment Management Ltd. lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 7.0% during the third quarter. Navera Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,623,960 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $327,303,000 after buying an additional 105,954 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. 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. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Mizuho lowered their target price 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. Barclays cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and issued a $200.00 target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, January 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $205.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.7%

MRSH stock opened at $161.07 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $169.60. 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 12-month low of $158.16 and a 12-month high of $235.78. The company has a market cap of $77.60 billion, a PE ratio of 20.13, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.65.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th were issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This represents 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. 0.38% of the stock is owned by insiders.

More Marsh & McLennan Companies News

Here are the key news stories impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs issued a positive report on Marsh & McLennan, reinforcing constructive Wall Street sentiment toward the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst estimates and ratings data show a generally optimistic stance on MRSH, despite its underperformance over the past 52 weeks. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent earnings were better than expected, with quarterly EPS of $3.29 beating consensus and revenue rising 7.6% year over year, which may help provide support but is not a new catalyst.
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock has underperformed the broader market over the past year, which may limit enthusiasm even as analysts stay upbeat.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.