Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC Makes New Investment in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 24,245 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $4,886,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.8% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,158,562 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $10,092,108,000 after acquiring an additional 837,117 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% during the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,590,697 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,745,889,000 after acquiring an additional 221,033 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,702,898 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,567,410,000 after purchasing an additional 92,767 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,091,478 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,041,386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,260,434 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 9,861,067 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,987,301,000 after purchasing an additional 68,826 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of MRSH opened at $173.70 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $179.40. The stock has a market cap of $84.09 billion, a PE ratio of 20.60, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.74. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $170.37 and a 1 year high of $248.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20.

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, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 31.60%. The company had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.52 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.87 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date 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 payout ratio is presently 42.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was 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 $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRSH has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Evercore decreased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Mizuho reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $199.00 price target (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped 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 report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings assumed coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. They set a “hold (c)” rating for the company. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald boosted 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $216.12.

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.