Vise Technologies Inc. increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Free Report) by 33.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 12,543 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 3,178 shares during the quarter. Vise Technologies Inc.'s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $2,664,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Louisbourg Investments Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 67.2% in the fourth quarter. Louisbourg Investments Inc. now owns 8,211 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,744,000 after buying an additional 3,300 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.4% in the fourth quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 191,512 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $40,679,000 after acquiring an additional 16,464 shares during the last quarter. Brentview Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth $3,635,000. Bell Asset Management Ltd grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 12.5% during the fourth quarter. Bell Asset Management Ltd now owns 32,465 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $6,896,000 after purchasing an additional 3,595 shares during the period. Finally, Mariner LLC lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 448,546 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $95,275,000 after acquiring an additional 6,125 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance
MMC stock traded up $1.04 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $229.51. The company had a trading volume of 1,514,191 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,925,277. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $229.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $225.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $113.08 billion, a PE ratio of 28.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.85. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $201.77 and a fifty-two week high of $248.00.
Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.02 by $0.04. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.60% and a net margin of 16.60%. The firm had revenue of $6.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.08 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.89 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.
Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 3rd were given a $0.815 dividend. This represents a $3.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.42%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 3rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is presently 39.95%.
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, CEO Nicholas Mark Studer sold 49,390 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.16, for a total transaction of $11,367,602.40. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 28,329 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,520,202.64. This represents a 63.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Stacy Mills sold 1,317 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.97, for a total value of $309,455.49. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 2,923 shares in the company, valued at $686,817.31. This trade represents a 31.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 69,634 shares of company stock worth $16,244,986 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.35% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several analysts recently commented on the stock. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $259.00 to $261.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, April 11th. Barclays increased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $246.00 to $249.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Finally, Redburn Atlantic initiated coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Tuesday, March 25th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $281.00 price target on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $241.93.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Marsh & McLennan Companies
Marsh & McLennan Companies Profile
(
Free Report)
Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services.
See Also

Before you consider Marsh & McLennan Companies, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Marsh & McLennan Companies wasn't on the list.
While Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has a Hold rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
Just getting into the stock market? These 10 simple stocks can help beginning investors build long-term wealth without knowing options, technicals, or other advanced strategies.
Get This Free Report