Ascent Group LLC Sells 3,985 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Ascent Group LLC decreased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 21.4% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 14,661 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 3,985 shares during the period. Ascent Group LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $2,720,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,856,000 after acquiring an additional 2,960 shares during the period. Bison Wealth LLC lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% during the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $651,000 after purchasing an additional 869 shares during the period. CW Advisors LLC grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.4% during the second quarter. CW Advisors LLC now owns 12,918 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,824,000 after buying an additional 548 shares in the last quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 17,392 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,803,000 after buying an additional 248 shares during the period. Finally, StoneX Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.4% in the 2nd quarter. StoneX Group Inc. now owns 1,368 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $299,000 after buying an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRSH has been the topic of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup upped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings started coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. They issued a “hold (c)” rating on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $209.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $212.06.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $174.49 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $164.89 and a 52-week high of $248.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $84.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.70, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.75. The business’s fifty day moving average is $175.70.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. The business 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%.Marsh & McLennan Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.87 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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 of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.70%.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

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 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 trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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.