Swedbank AB Acquires 12,848 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Swedbank AB increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan by 12,848 shares (up 1.2%) to 1,105,862 shares—about 0.23% of the company valued at roughly $205.16 million, while institutional ownership is ~88%.
• Marsh & McLennan beat quarterly EPS expectations ($3.29 vs. $3.21) on $7.30B revenue, declared a $0.90 quarterly dividend (2.2% yield), and carries a consensus analyst rating of "Hold" with a $205.33 target versus a recent price near $167.30.

Swedbank AB increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 1.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,105,862 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 12,848 shares during the quarter. Swedbank AB owned approximately 0.23% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $205,160,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,856,000 after acquiring an additional 2,960 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% in the 4th quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $651,000 after purchasing an additional 869 shares during the period. Glenview Trust co boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.8% in the 2nd quarter. Glenview Trust co now owns 3,897 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $852,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% during the second quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 927 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $203,000 after buying an additional 922 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at $1,307,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on MRSH. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $205.33.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $167.30 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $80.60 billion, a PE ratio of 20.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.65. The firm's 50 day moving average is $173.34. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $164.89 and a 12-month high of $235.78. 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.00%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available 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.

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