Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd Acquires 7,000 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MRSH) by 43.5%, buying 7,000 shares to hold 23,107 shares valued at about $4.657 million.
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares on March 4 at an average price of $183.30 for roughly $3.05 million, reducing his position by 12.48% to 116,811 shares.
• Marsh & McLennan beat Q1 estimates with $2.12 EPS (vs. $1.97 expected) on $6.60 billion revenue and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.90 (ex-dividend April 9, ~2.1% yield).

Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 43.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,107 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 7,000 shares during the period. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $4,657,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth about $32,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, TruNorth Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.8%

NYSE MRSH traded up $1.36 during trading on Friday, reaching $172.24. 199,902 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,983,137. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $170.37 and a 1-year high of $248.00. The company has a market capitalization of $83.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.40, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.87 EPS. Marsh & McLennan Companies's revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is currently 42.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRSH has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Raymond James Financial upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $225.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Evercore cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings assumed coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. They set a "hold (c)" rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $216.12.

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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