Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC Purchases 400 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC)

Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 20.5% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 2,348 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $499,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MMC. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 85.7% in the third quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 130 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Albion Financial Group UT purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Bangor Savings Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter worth about $46,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.4 %

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $217.37 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The firm has a market cap of $106.75 billion, a PE ratio of 26.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.96. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $218.31 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $221.26. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $188.31 and a 12 month high of $235.50.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.815 per share. This represents a $3.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 30th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is 40.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on MMC shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $214.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $217.00 to $228.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $211.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. UBS Group upped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $255.00 to $259.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $220.00 target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, October 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $228.60.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, Director Oscar Fanjul sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.55, for a total transaction of $553,875.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 48,549 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,756,030.95. This represents a 4.90 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies 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.