Primecap Management Co. CA Trims Stock Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC)

Primecap Management Co. CA trimmed its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 4.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,732,326 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 136,415 shares during the quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA owned 0.56% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $580,373,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Albion Financial Group UT bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $38,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $41,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $45,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of MMC opened at $232.97 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $225.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $223.63. The stock has a market cap of $114.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.45, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.95. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $196.17 and a 52 week high of $241.84.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.87 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.12. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.60% and a net margin of 16.60%. On average, analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.815 per share. This represents a $3.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.40%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 3rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.80%.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO Dean Michael Klisura sold 7,121 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.97, for a total transaction of $1,673,221.37. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 20,935 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,919,096.95. This trade represents a 25.38 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Stacy Mills sold 1,317 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.97, for a total value of $309,455.49. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 2,923 shares in the company, valued at $686,817.31. This trade represents a 31.06 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 57,828 shares of company stock valued at $13,350,279. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MMC. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $223.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $242.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Monday, November 25th. Royal Bank of Canada raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the company from $242.00 to $250.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Raymond James reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 price target (up from $240.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $236.00 to $246.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $230.44.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services.