Sivia Capital Partners LLC Takes Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Sivia Capital Partners bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan during the fourth quarter, acquiring 6,558 shares worth about $1.22 million.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with hedge funds and other investors holding 87.99% of the company; several large firms such as Vanguard and Wellington also increased their positions.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed to cautious: Citigroup upgraded the stock to buy, but the overall consensus remains Hold with an average target price of $203.56, while shares recently traded near their 52-week low after falling 2.4%.

Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 6,558 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,217,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $8,643,309,000 after purchasing an additional 387,100 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 21,538,014 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $4,340,556,000 after purchasing an additional 96,436 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,590,697 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,745,889,000 after purchasing an additional 221,033 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,702,898 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,567,410,000 after purchasing an additional 92,767 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,091,478 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,041,386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,260,434 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Citigroup upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Mizuho reduced their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Barclays reduced their target price 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. Finally, Bank of America reduced their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $203.56.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 2.4%

Shares of MRSH opened at $157.52 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $76.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.62. 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, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $156.60 and a fifty-two week high of $235.38.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

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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