Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Decreases Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA cut its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 24.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 418,961 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 139,041 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA owned approximately 0.09% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $77,728,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of MRSH. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter worth about $25,000. City Holding Co. purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, TruNorth Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $170.71 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $173.78. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $82.25 billion, a PE ratio of 21.34, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.75. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $164.89 and a 1 year high of $235.78.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 45.00%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Weiss Ratings assumed coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Thursday, January 29th. They set a “hold (c)” rating for the company. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 13th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $205.33.

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.