6,985 Shares in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Purchased by Essex Financial Services Inc.

Essex Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 6,985 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,296,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MRSH. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $1,555,869,000. Ninety One UK Ltd boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 163.0% during the 4th quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 3,542,004 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $657,113,000 after acquiring an additional 2,195,201 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9,455.4% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,520,164 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $282,021,000 after acquiring an additional 1,504,255 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $267,251,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,091,478 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,041,386,000 after acquiring an additional 1,260,434 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $159.73 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $77.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $157.74 and a 52-week high of $235.78. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $164.87.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The business had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on MRSH. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Citigroup upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Mizuho reduced their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $203.56.

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.