Essex LLC Takes $2.89 Million Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Essex LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 16,665 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,891,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. USS Investment Management Ltd increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.0% in the first quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd now owns 84,645 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $14,680,000 after buying an additional 3,271 shares in the last quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.4% during the 1st quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 97,885 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $16,978,000 after acquiring an additional 3,194 shares in the last quarter. Key Financial Inc grew its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 344.1% in the 1st quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 493 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $86,000 after acquiring an additional 382 shares during the period. iA Global Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $264,000. Finally, First Pacific Financial acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter worth $41,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRSH has been the topic of several research reports. Citigroup raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Barclays cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $203.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $200.19.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $171.84 on Thursday. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $83.02 billion, a PE ratio of 21.48, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.61. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $156.60 and a 52-week high of $217.07.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 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 return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The company’s revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.