Russell Investments Group Ltd. Sells 13,357 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Russell Investments trimmed its stake in Marsh & McLennan by 4.0%, selling 13,357 shares and holding 324,238 shares valued at about $65.28 million at quarter-end.
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares on March 4 for roughly $3.05 million, cutting his position by 12.48% to 116,811 shares.
• Marsh & McLennan beat quarterly estimates (EPS $2.12 vs. $1.97; revenue $6.60B vs. $6.52B), declared a $0.90 quarterly dividend (annual $3.60, yield 2.1%), and has a MarketBeat consensus rating of Hold with a $216.18 price target.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. decreased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 4.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 324,238 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 13,357 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned about 0.07% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $65,279,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rockland Trust Co. grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 801.6% during the third 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 in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.8% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,158,562 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $10,092,108,000 after buying an additional 837,117 shares in the last quarter. Navera Investment Management Ltd. boosted its stake 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 last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its holdings 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 buying an additional 647,987 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bridges Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 76,196 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $15,356,000 after acquiring an additional 3,177 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRSH has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Evercore reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and set a $200.00 target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $216.18.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.35% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

NYSE MRSH opened at $173.93 on Wednesday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $170.37 and a fifty-two week high of $248.00. The company has a market cap of $84.20 billion, a PE ratio of 20.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.The company had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.52 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.87 earnings per share. Marsh & McLennan Companies's revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is currently 42.70%.

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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