Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC Sells 39,842 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC

Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC reduced its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 19.9% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 159,985 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 39,842 shares during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies makes up about 1.6% of Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $32,242,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter worth $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 363.3% during the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 139 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, TruNorth Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on MMC. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $191.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $200.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Monday, October 20th. UBS Group lowered their price target 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. Mizuho began coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $212.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Tuesday, September 16th. They set a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $222.41.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 0.5%

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $185.94 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $91.09 billion, a PE ratio of 22.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.12. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $183.18 and a 200 day moving average of $196.16. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $174.18 and a one year high of $248.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.78 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.79% and a net margin of 15.60%.The business had revenue of $6.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.34 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.63 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.22, for a total transaction 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 approximately $15,977,231.82. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.