Securian Asset Management Inc. Reduces Stock Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Securian Asset Management cut its stake in Marsh & McLennan by 43.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 10,422 shares and leaving it with 13,321 shares worth about $2.47 million.
• Marsh & McLennan beat quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $3.29 EPS versus the $3.21 consensus, while revenue rose 7.6% year over year to $7.30 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.90 per share, implying an annualized dividend of $3.60 and a yield of 2.2%; analysts currently have a consensus Hold rating with a $205 price target.

Securian Asset Management Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 43.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 13,321 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 10,422 shares during the period. Securian Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $2,471,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MRSH. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. City Holding Co. bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $161.48 on Tuesday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $171.77. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $161.38 and a 1 year high of $235.78. The firm has a market cap of $77.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.19, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a $0.90 dividend. 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 2.2%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio is currently 45.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRSH has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Raymond James Financial raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $225.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Monday, April 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $205.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $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 accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

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.