Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Stock Holdings Reduced by Lazard Asset Management LLC

Lazard Asset Management LLC lowered its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 5.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,623,755 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 85,464 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned 0.34% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $281,640,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Solstein Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted 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. Citigroup lowered Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Bank of America dropped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price on shares of 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, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $201.69.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of MRSH opened at $180.66 on Monday. 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, Inc. has a 12-month low of $156.60 and a 12-month high of $213.80. The stock has a market cap of $86.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.09, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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%.Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.41 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value 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. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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.