Vanguard Group Inc. Buys 387,100 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Vanguard Group increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan by 387,100 shares in the fourth quarter, holding 46,589,633 shares (9.51% of the company) worth about $8.64 billion.
• Marsh & McLennan beat earnings with quarterly EPS of $3.29 versus $3.21 expected and revenue of $7.30 billion (up 7.6% YoY), and announced a $0.90 quarterly dividend ($3.60 annual, ~2.1% yield).
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares on March 4 at an average price of $183.30, cutting his position by 12.48%, while company insiders collectively own only 0.38% of the stock.

Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 0.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 387,100 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 9.51% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $8,643,309,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 21,538,014 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $4,340,556,000 after purchasing an additional 96,436 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,590,697 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,745,889,000 after buying an additional 221,033 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,702,898 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,567,410,000 after buying an additional 92,767 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,091,478 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,041,386,000 after acquiring an additional 1,260,434 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 9,861,067 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,987,301,000 after acquiring an additional 68,826 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings began coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Thursday, January 29th. They set a "hold (c)" rating on the stock. 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 research report on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America reduced their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Evercore cut their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. One 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's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $205.33.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $170.13 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The company has a market capitalization of $81.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.27, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.75. The business's fifty day moving average price is $174.01. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $164.89 and a twelve month high of $235.78.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is presently 45.00%.

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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