Wealthfront Advisers LLC Has $9.74 Million Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Key Points

• Wealthfront Advisers LLC cut its stake in Marsh & McLennan by 11.4% in Q4, selling 6,732 shares and now holding 52,498 shares worth $9.74 million.
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares on March 4 at an average $183.30 for about $3.05 million, trimming his holding by 12.48%; company insiders now own 0.38% of the stock.
• Marsh & McLennan posted an EPS beat ($3.29 vs. $3.21) with revenue up 7.6% YoY, pays a $0.90 quarterly dividend (2.1% yield), and carries a MarketBeat consensus rating of Hold with a $205.33 target.

Wealthfront Advisers LLC trimmed its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH - Free Report) by 11.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 52,498 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 6,732 shares during the period. Wealthfront Advisers LLC's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $9,739,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 4,514 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $910,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 2,279 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $423,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 1,758 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $326,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC now owns 14,994 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,022,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 3,663 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $736,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on MRSH shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $205.33.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

MRSH opened at $170.89 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $164.89 and a fifty-two week high of $235.78. The firm has a market cap of $82.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.36, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.75. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $173.66.

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies 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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