Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Purchases 14,657 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 298.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,563 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,657 shares during the quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $3,943,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,328,587,000. Soundwatch Capital LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter worth approximately $560,820,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 212.6% in the second quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,285,194 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $499,635,000 after buying an additional 1,554,114 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 89.2% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 2,892,576 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $615,309,000 after buying an additional 1,363,706 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,158,562 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $10,092,108,000 after acquiring an additional 837,117 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business’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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on MRSH shares. Weiss Ratings started coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Thursday, January 29th. They issued a “hold (c)” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of 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. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Mizuho reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $199.00 target price (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $216.18.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of MRSH opened at $183.43 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $88.80 billion, a PE ratio of 21.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.74. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $170.37 and a 12 month high of $248.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20.

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 42.70%.

Marsh & McLennan Companies 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.