WASHINGTON TRUST Co Takes $19.03 Million Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• WASHINGTON TRUST Co disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in Marsh & McLennan, buying 102,598 shares valued at about $19.0 million.
• Institutional interest remains high, with several other investors increasing their holdings and 87.99% of the stock owned by hedge funds and other institutions.
• Marsh & McLennan reported Q1 earnings of $3.29 per share, topping estimates, while analysts currently rate the stock Hold on average with a price target of $203.56.

WASHINGTON TRUST Co acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 102,598 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $19,034,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MRSH. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% during 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 in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC raised its position 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 worth $651,000 after purchasing an additional 869 shares during the period. Glenview Trust co increased its stake 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 worth $852,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the period. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. increased its stake 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 worth $203,000 after purchasing an additional 922 shares during the period. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at about $1,307,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on MRSH shares. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Barclays reduced their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $203.56.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

MRSH opened at $159.73 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $164.87 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $172.25. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The company has a market cap of $77.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.65. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $157.74 and a 12-month high of $235.78.

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 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The business's revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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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