Walter Public Investments Inc. Grows Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC

Walter Public Investments Inc. raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 8.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 113,299 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,593 shares during the period. Marsh & McLennan Companies makes up about 3.8% of Walter Public Investments Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Walter Public Investments Inc.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $22,833,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter worth $1,328,587,000. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 48,212.9% in the second quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,629,187 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $574,845,000 after acquiring an additional 2,623,745 shares in the last quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter worth about $560,820,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 212.6% during the 2nd quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,285,194 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $499,635,000 after purchasing an additional 1,554,114 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 89.2% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 2,892,576 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $615,309,000 after purchasing an additional 1,363,706 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.22, for a total transaction of $3,841,015.38. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 87,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,977,231.82. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MMC has been the topic of a number of research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald cut their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $208.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Mizuho began coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $212.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America reiterated an “underperform” rating and set a $181.00 target price (down previously from $243.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Citigroup cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $211.00 to $201.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $218.82.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MMC opened at $182.39 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.12. The business has a 50-day moving average of $183.46 and a 200-day moving average of $195.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $89.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.87, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.76. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $174.18 and a fifty-two week high of $248.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.78 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $6.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.34 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.79% and a net margin of 15.60%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.63 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 29th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 29th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.17%.

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.