Russell Investments Group Ltd. Sells 86,317 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC)

Key Points

• Russell Investments Group Ltd. reduced its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. by 18.7%, owning 375,247 shares worth approximately $91.5 million following the sale of 86,317 shares.
• Marsh & McLennan recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.90 per share, an increase from the previous $0.82, representing an annual yield of 1.8%.
• Equities analysts have mixed ratings on Marsh & McLennan, with an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $239.79, as several firms revised their price targets downward.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. trimmed its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Free Report) by 18.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 375,247 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 86,317 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned approximately 0.08% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $91,465,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MMC. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,856,000 after acquiring an additional 2,960 shares during the last quarter. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,178,000. Covestor Ltd grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 29.1% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 231 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 16.1% during the 4th quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 11,761 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,498,000 after acquiring an additional 1,631 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisors Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 25.3% in the 4th quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC now owns 2,192 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $466,000 after buying an additional 442 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of MMC traded down $2.26 on Thursday, reaching $207.09. The stock had a trading volume of 1,670,127 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,828,008. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $211.60 and a 200-day simple moving average of $223.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $101.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.77. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $196.27 and a 12-month high of $248.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a current ratio of 1.20.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 17th. The financial services provider reported $2.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.66 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.92 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.90% and a net margin of 16.00%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.41 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 24th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. This is an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 24th. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.17%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $214.00 to $210.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 21st. Barclays cut their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $249.00 to $233.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Wednesday. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $256.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 18th. Finally, Citigroup assumed coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Wednesday. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $226.00 price objective on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $239.94.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company Profile

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services.