Stevens Capital Management LP Grows Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Stevens Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 385.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 6,431 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,105 shares during the period. Stevens Capital Management LP’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $1,193,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MRSH. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. City Holding Co. bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter valued at about $32,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.0%

NYSE:MRSH opened at $167.30 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $164.89 and a twelve month high of $235.78. The stock has a market cap of $80.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.91, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.65. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $173.34.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 45.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on MRSH shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Monday, April 27th. 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 report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $205.33.

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.