Madison Asset Management LLC Sells 29,400 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Madison Asset Management LLC cut its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 9.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 290,337 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 29,400 shares during the quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC owned 0.06% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $53,863,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.6% in the 4th quarter. Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. now owns 2,684 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $498,000 after purchasing an additional 235 shares in the last quarter. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH grew its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH now owns 6,791 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,260,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the period. Washington Trust Bank raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Washington Trust Bank now owns 79,317 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $14,715,000 after acquiring an additional 929 shares during the period. Bailard Inc. grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 8.1% during the 4th quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 1,663 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $309,000 after buying an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs now owns 19,682 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,651,000 after acquiring an additional 1,156 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $163.30 on Wednesday. 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, Inc. has a 12 month low of $161.06 and a 12 month high of $235.78. The company has a market cap of $78.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.65. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $171.32.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The business’s revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on MRSH. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of 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. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday. Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $205.00.

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.