Schroder Investment Management Group Sells 33,718 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Schroder Investment Management Group decreased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 9.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 311,523 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 33,718 shares during the quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group owned about 0.06% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $62,376,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,856,000 after buying an additional 2,960 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% in the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $651,000 after acquiring an additional 869 shares in the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 60.8% during the second quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 1,661 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $363,000 after acquiring an additional 628 shares during the period. AE Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 12.7% in the 2nd quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,959 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $866,000 after purchasing an additional 446 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prospera Financial Services Inc boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 181.6% in the 2nd quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 8,166 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,786,000 after purchasing an additional 5,266 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

NYSE MRSH opened at $173.93 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $84.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.74. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $170.37 and a fifty-two week high of $248.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.The company had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.87 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 42.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRSH has been the topic of several recent research reports. Mizuho reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $199.00 target price (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Friday, February 27th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $203.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $216.18.

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.