Tounjian Advisory Partners LLC Makes New $1.68 Million Investment in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Tounjian Advisory Partners LLC acquired a new stake of 9,078 shares in Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) in the fourth quarter, valued at approximately $1.684 million.
• Several large institutions — including Norges Bank, Soundwatch Capital, Mackenzie, Amundi and Wellington — added or boosted positions, leaving institutional investors and hedge funds with about 87.99% ownership of the stock.
• Marsh & McLennan beat Q4 estimates with EPS $2.12 (vs. $1.97) and $6.60 billion revenue, declared a quarterly dividend of $0.90 per share (2.0% yield, payable May 15), and trades with a market cap near $85.2 billion and a consensus "Hold" rating (target $216.12).

Tounjian Advisory Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 9,078 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,684,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MRSH. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter worth approximately $1,328,587,000. Soundwatch Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $560,820,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 212.6% during the second quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,285,194 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $499,635,000 after purchasing an additional 1,554,114 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 89.2% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 2,892,576 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $615,309,000 after purchasing an additional 1,363,706 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,091,478 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,041,386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,260,434 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $176.00 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $85.21 billion, a PE ratio of 20.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.74. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $178.29. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $164.89 and a 52 week high of $248.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20.

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.70%.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays lowered their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $209.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of 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. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings started coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. They set a "hold (c)" rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus 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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