Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. Purchases 1,783 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC

Key Points

• Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. by 2.8%, purchasing an additional 1,783 shares, bringing its total to 66,462 shares valued at approximately $14.53 million.
• CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the company, resulting in a 19.38% decrease in his position, valued at about $4.33 million.
• Marsh & McLennan Companies announced a quarterly dividend of $0.90 per share, with a dividend yield of 1.9%, demonstrating a solid payout ratio of 43.17%.

Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Free Report) by 2.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 66,462 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 1,783 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.'s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $14,531,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. LPL Financial LLC increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.9% during the 1st quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 324,035 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $78,662,000 after acquiring an additional 29,247 shares during the period. Penserra Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 101.4% during the 1st quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 7,136 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,741,000 after acquiring an additional 3,593 shares during the period. US Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 23.1% during the 1st quarter. US Asset Management LLC now owns 6,847 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,671,000 after acquiring an additional 1,284 shares during the period. Geneva Partners LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 1st quarter worth $4,673,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 32.0% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,211 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,516,000 after acquiring an additional 1,507 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.65, for a total value of $4,334,896.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 87,681 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,031,597.65. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:MMC opened at $189.98 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $93.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.78, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $185.12 and a 12-month high of $248.00. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $202.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $213.51.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.78 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $6.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.34 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.79% and a net margin of 15.60%.Marsh & McLennan Companies's revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.63 EPS. Analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 2nd. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.17%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Tuesday, September 16th. They issued a "peer perform" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and reduced their target price for the company from $248.00 to $242.00 in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from an "underperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and reduced their target price for the company from $209.00 to $191.00 in a report on Friday. UBS Group reduced their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $258.00 to $257.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $222.00 to $212.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $233.67.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company Profile

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.

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