Cetera Investment Advisers Increases Stock Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Cetera Investment Advisers grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 2.6% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 144,505 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,661 shares during the quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers’ holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $25,064,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $8,643,309,000 after buying an additional 387,100 shares during the period. State Street Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $3,140,284,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $2,967,927,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

MRSH opened at $180.66 on Monday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $156.60 and a 1-year high of $213.80. The company has a market capitalization of $86.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.09, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $7.28 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.67% and a net margin of 14.24%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.41 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a $0.99 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 48.41%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Citigroup cut Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Barclays decreased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 6th. UBS Group raised their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $201.69.

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.