65,707 Shares in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) Purchased by Generali Asset Management SPA SGR

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 65,707 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $13,957,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MMC. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.3% in the third quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 5,526 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,233,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 5.4% in the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 13,937 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,109,000 after purchasing an additional 717 shares in the last quarter. Tower Bridge Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.2% in the third quarter. Tower Bridge Advisors now owns 2,218 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $495,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Claro Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter valued at about $292,000. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 102.3% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 342,190 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $76,339,000 after purchasing an additional 173,039 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE:MMC opened at $232.97 on Tuesday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $196.17 and a 12 month high of $241.84. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $225.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $223.63. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. The firm has a market cap of $114.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.95.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.87 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.12. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 16.60% and a return on equity of 32.60%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.815 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 3rd. This represents a $3.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.40%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 39.80%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MMC has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $223.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $236.00 to $246.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Raymond James reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 target price (up previously from $240.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $242.00 price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Monday, November 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $230.44.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, VP Stacy Mills sold 1,317 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.97, for a total value of $309,455.49. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 2,923 shares in the company, valued at $686,817.31. This trade represents a 31.06 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Nicholas Mark Studer sold 49,390 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.16, for a total transaction of $11,367,602.40. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 28,329 shares in the company, valued at $6,520,202.64. This trade represents a 63.55 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 57,828 shares of company stock worth $13,350,279. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.