Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Invests $27.28 Million in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 157,257 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $27,276,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. UBS Group decreased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $203.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Weiss Ratings cut Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $200.19.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $168.83 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $156.60 and a 1 year high of $219.71. The stock has a market cap of $81.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling 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 stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, 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.

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.