Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC Stock Position Lifted by Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.1%, now holding 111,001 shares valued at approximately $24.27 million.
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the company at a price of $205.65, reducing his ownership by 19.38% to 87,681 shares.
• Analysts have mixed projections for Marsh & McLennan, with a consensus price target of $238.76 and various labels ranging from "Buy" to "Sell" ratings.

Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd grew its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Free Report) by 2.1% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 111,001 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 2,321 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $24,269,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Harbour Investments Inc. raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.6% during the first quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 1,253 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $306,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Defined Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.5% during the first quarter. Defined Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,198 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $780,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.6% during the first quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 7,479 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,825,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.1% during the first quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,517 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,102,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Finally, E Fund Management Co. Ltd. grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.9% in the first quarter. E Fund Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,263 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $308,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $205.65, for a total transaction of $4,334,896.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 87,681 shares of the company's stock, valued at $18,031,597.65. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.35% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on MMC. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $226.00 price target for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $256.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 18th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $249.00 to $233.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 7th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $214.00 to $210.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 21st. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $238.76.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of MMC traded up $0.14 on Monday, hitting $196.92. 692,380 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,248,946. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $96.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.81. The stock's 50 day moving average is $205.22 and its two-hundred day moving average is $218.83. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $195.01 and a 1 year high of $248.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 17th. The financial services provider reported $2.72 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.66 by $0.06. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 16.00% and a return on equity of 31.90%. The firm had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.92 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.41 earnings per share. Marsh & McLennan Companies's revenue for the quarter was up 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict 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, November 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 2nd. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.17%.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company Profile

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services.