Swiss National Bank Takes Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Swiss National Bank disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, buying 1.35 million shares worth about $250.1 million. The position represents roughly 0.28% of the company.
• Marsh & McLennan reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, posting $3.29 EPS versus $3.21 expected, while revenue rose 7.6% year over year to $7.3 billion.
• Despite mixed analyst sentiment, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold with an average target price of $200.19; meanwhile, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares in a pre-arranged transaction.

Swiss National Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 1,348,300 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $250,137,000. Swiss National Bank owned about 0.28% of Marsh & McLennan Companies as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,856,000 after buying an additional 2,960 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC grew its holdings in 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 valued at $651,000 after buying an additional 869 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Trust co grew its holdings in 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 buying an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% in the 2nd quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 927 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $203,000 after buying an additional 922 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,307,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of MRSH stock opened at $168.20 on Friday. 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, Inc. has a 12 month low of $156.60 and a 12 month high of $220.32. The company has a market capitalization of $81.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.02, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.62.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 during the quarter. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays lowered their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America lowered their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on 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, Citigroup raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $200.19.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

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

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.

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