Sustainable Insight Capital Management LLC Purchases New Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Sustainable Insight Capital Management initiated a new position in Marsh & McLennan, buying 42,915 shares worth about $7.96 million. The stake represents 2.7% of its portfolio and is its 11th-largest holding.
• Institutional interest remains high, with 87.99% of the stock owned by hedge funds and other institutions. Several firms increased their holdings, even as analyst sentiment stayed mixed.
• Analysts have trimmed price targets on MRSH, and the stock currently carries an average “Hold” rating with a consensus target of $200.19. CEO John Q. Doyle also sold 16,656 shares in a pre-arranged trading plan, while the company recently beat quarterly earnings estimates and posted 7.6% revenue growth.

Sustainable Insight Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 42,915 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $7,962,000. Marsh & McLennan Companies comprises 2.7% of Sustainable Insight Capital Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest holding.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,856,000 after purchasing an additional 2,960 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% during the 4th quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $651,000 after purchasing an additional 869 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Trust co boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.8% in the second quarter. Glenview Trust co now owns 3,897 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $852,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% in the second quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 927 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $203,000 after purchasing an additional 922 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth approximately $1,307,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $203.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Mizuho dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $200.19.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.6%

MRSH opened at $168.20 on Friday. 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 1-year low of $156.60 and a 1-year high of $220.32. The company has a market capitalization of $81.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.62.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last released 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. 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 company's revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.