OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp Acquires 5,076 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 28.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 22,736 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,076 shares during the period. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $3,944,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. 44 Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 6.6% during the first quarter. 44 Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,148 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $546,000 after acquiring an additional 195 shares during the period. Lombard Odier Asset Management Europe Ltd bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $14,580,000. Waverly Advisors LLC grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 21.4% in the 1st quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC now owns 15,035 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,608,000 after purchasing an additional 2,652 shares during the last quarter. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 1st quarter worth about $775,000. Finally, Gabelli Funds LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter valued at about $10,528,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MRSH. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $197.00 to $201.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their target price 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $201.94.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 1.4%

NYSE MRSH opened at $183.29 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The company has a market cap of $87.47 billion, a PE ratio of 22.41, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $156.60 and a 1-year high of $213.80.

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the business’s 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 $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.