Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC Makes New Investment in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 7,225 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,340,000.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. City Holding Co. acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRSH has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 6th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $203.56.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:MRSH opened at $165.37 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $156.60 and a twelve month high of $231.36. The firm has a market cap of $79.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 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 (NYSE:MRSH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 earnings per share for the current year.

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.