Ameriprise Financial Inc. Sells 49,405 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC)

Ameriprise Financial Inc. lessened its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Free Report) by 0.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 8,332,473 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 49,405 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. owned 1.70% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $1,769,768,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Albion Financial Group UT purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Transce3nd LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on MMC shares. Barclays upped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $246.00 to $249.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 11th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $259.00 to $261.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Raymond James reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $250.00 price objective (up previously from $240.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Redburn Atlantic initiated coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Tuesday, March 25th. They set a "buy" rating and a $281.00 target price for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Two equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $241.93.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, VP Stacy Mills sold 1,317 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 2,923 shares in the company, valued at approximately $686,817.31. This represents a 31.06 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Dean Michael Klisura sold 7,121 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.97, for a total value of $1,673,221.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 20,935 shares in the company, valued at $4,919,096.95. The trade was a 25.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 69,634 shares of company stock worth $16,244,986. 0.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of MMC traded up $0.33 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $226.90. 1,688,696 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,882,527. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $201.34 and a 1 year high of $248.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.13. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $230.75 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $224.55. The stock has a market cap of $111.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.85.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $3.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.02 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $6.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.08 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.60% and a net margin of 16.60%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.89 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be paid a $0.815 dividend. This represents a $3.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.44%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 3rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.95%.

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.