First Trust Advisors LP Has $233.25 Million Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

First Trust Advisors LP cut its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 1.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,157,404 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 14,994 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.24% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $233,252,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Neo Ivy Capital Management increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 126.1% in the third quarter. Neo Ivy Capital Management now owns 7,936 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,599,000 after purchasing an additional 4,426 shares during the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 97,766 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $19,703,000 after buying an additional 3,081 shares during the last quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 25,652.9% during the 3rd quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 4,378 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $882,000 after buying an additional 4,361 shares during the period. Barclays PLC grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 41.7% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,202,372 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $443,844,000 after buying an additional 647,987 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cambria Investment Management L.P. bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $215,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of MRSH stock opened at $183.43 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $88.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.74. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $170.37 and a 1 year high of $248.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.The company’s revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.87 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is 42.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRSH has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Raymond James Financial upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $203.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Mizuho reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $199.00 price objective (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Evercore reduced their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $216.18.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.35% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.