Donaldson Capital Management LLC Lowers Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Donaldson Capital Management LLC cut its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 39.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,182 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 4,112 shares during the quarter. Donaldson Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $1,147,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in MRSH. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 31.3% during the third quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 214 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% in the third quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 4,514 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $910,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 2,279 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $423,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC boosted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC now owns 14,994 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,022,000 after buying an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 3,663 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $736,000 after buying an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

NYSE:MRSH opened at $169.25 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $176.34. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $164.89 and a 1-year high of $248.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.74.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 31.60%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.87 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 42.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRSH has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Mizuho reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $199.00 price target (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Raymond James Financial raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $212.06.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by company 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.