Benjamin Edwards Inc. Increases Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC

Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 19.3% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 27,875 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 4,511 shares during the quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $5,619,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MMC. Lecap Asset Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at $2,953,000. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 567.6% in the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 93,243 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $18,791,000 after buying an additional 79,276 shares in the last quarter. Caldwell Trust Co lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter. Caldwell Trust Co now owns 3,927 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $791,000 after buying an additional 311 shares during the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 185.8% during the 3rd quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 9,001 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,814,000 after acquiring an additional 5,852 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CX Institutional increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.1% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 39,110 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $7,882,000 after acquiring an additional 3,572 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.22, for a total value of $3,841,015.38. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 87,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,977,231.82. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.5%

NYSE:MMC opened at $185.94 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $174.18 and a 12-month high of $248.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $183.18 and its 200-day simple moving average is $196.46. The firm has a market cap of $91.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.29, a PEG ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.76.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.78 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 15.60% and a return on equity of 31.79%. The firm had revenue of $6.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.34 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.63 EPS. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, October 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $258.00 to $257.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Evercore ISI cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Mizuho began coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $212.00 target price for the company. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $222.41.

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.