Howland Capital Management LLC Acquires Shares of 11,694 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Howland Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 11,694 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,169,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. City Holding Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on MRSH. Barclays reduced their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Bank of America dropped 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, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $200.19.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $168.67 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The firm has a market cap of $81.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.62. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $156.60 and a 12-month high of $220.32.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued 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 return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. The company’s revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.