Phoenix Financial Ltd. Reduces Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Phoenix Financial Ltd. cut its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 21.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 16,437 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 4,484 shares during the quarter. Phoenix Financial Ltd.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $3,049,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $8,643,309,000 after acquiring an additional 387,100 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 21,538,014 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $4,340,556,000 after acquiring an additional 96,436 shares during the period. Capital International Investors boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,590,697 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,745,889,000 after acquiring an additional 221,033 shares during the period. Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,702,898 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,567,410,000 after acquiring an additional 92,767 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% during 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 acquiring an additional 1,260,434 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $161.07 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $158.16 and a 52-week high of $235.78. The company has a market cap of $77.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.13, a P/E/G ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.65. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $169.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th were given a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 45.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRSH has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings lowered Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday. Bank of America lowered their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target 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 investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $205.00.

Trending Headlines about Marsh & McLennan Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs issued a positive report on Marsh & McLennan, reinforcing constructive Wall Street sentiment toward the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst estimates and ratings data show a generally optimistic stance on MRSH, despite its underperformance over the past 52 weeks. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent earnings were better than expected, with quarterly EPS of $3.29 beating consensus and revenue rising 7.6% year over year, which may help provide support but is not a new catalyst.
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock has underperformed the broader market over the past year, which may limit enthusiasm even as analysts stay upbeat.

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.