Sanctuary Advisors LLC Sells 10,202 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Sanctuary Advisors LLC cut its stake in Marsh & McLennan by 10.5%, selling 10,202 shares in Q4 and leaving it with 86,660 shares worth about $16.08 million per its latest 13F filing.
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares on March 4 at an average price of $183.30 (≈$3.05 million), reducing his ownership by 12.48%; insiders now hold about 0.38% of the stock.
• Marsh & McLennan reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter (beating estimates) with revenue up 7.6% year-over-year, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.90 (annualized $3.60, ~2.1% yield; ex-dividend April 9, payable May 15).

Sanctuary Advisors LLC cut its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 10.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 86,660 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 10,202 shares during the quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $16,077,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $8,643,309,000 after acquiring an additional 387,100 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 21,538,014 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $4,340,556,000 after purchasing an additional 96,436 shares during the period. Capital International Investors raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% in the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,590,697 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,745,889,000 after purchasing an additional 221,033 shares during the period. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,702,898 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,567,410,000 after purchasing an additional 92,767 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,091,478 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,041,386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,260,434 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $170.13 on Monday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $164.89 and a 12 month high of $235.78. 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 stock's fifty day moving average is $174.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.75.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The business had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.00%.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Evercore cut their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $200.00 price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $205.33.

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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