Sanctuary Advisors LLC Takes Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Sanctuary Advisors LLC opened a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, buying 86,819 shares valued at about $15.1 million in the first quarter.
• Marsh & McLennan continues to attract major institutional interest, with institutional investors owning 87.99% of the stock. Several large hedge funds recently added stakes, including State Street and Capital International Investors.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $3.29 per share and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.99 per share, implying an annualized yield of about 2.2%.

Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 86,819 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $15,059,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MRSH. State Street Corp acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $3,140,284,000. Wellington Management Group LLP bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,967,927,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth $1,710,101,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Barclays cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Bank of America dropped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald increased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $200.81.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

MRSH stock opened at $182.22 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $156.60 and a 1-year high of $216.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $88.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. The company 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 quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be paid a $0.99 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. This is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.00%.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value of $2,693,441.76. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, 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 filing with the SEC, which is available through 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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