MQS Management LLC Acquires New Shares in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC)

MQS Management LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 3,613 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $882,000. Marsh & McLennan Companies makes up approximately 0.5% of MQS Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest position.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in MMC. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. City Holding Co. bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter valued at about $37,000. Transce3nd LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $39,000. Garde Capital Inc. purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, First Pacific Financial grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 133.8% in the first quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 187 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MMC opened at $211.62 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $222.70 and its 200 day moving average price is $224.76. The firm has a market cap of $104.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.80. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $207.21 and a 52 week high of $248.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.04. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.19% and a net margin of 16.13%. The firm had revenue of $6.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.08 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.89 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 24th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 24th. This is a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.95%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on MMC. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Redburn Atlantic began coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $281.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $228.00 to $229.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group lifted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $259.00 to $261.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $215.00 to $214.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $240.50.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company Profile

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services.