Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) Shares Acquired by Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P.

Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 4.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 104,033 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,147 shares during the period. Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $22,098,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Albion Financial Group UT acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $45,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.2 %

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $232.59 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.13. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $196.17 and a 52-week high of $241.84. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $226.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $223.73. The firm has a market cap of $114.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.40, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.95.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.75 by $0.12. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 16.60% and a return on equity of 32.60%. Equities analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Stacy Mills sold 1,317 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $686,817.31. This represents a 31.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Dean Michael Klisura sold 7,121 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.97, for a total value of $1,673,221.37. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 20,935 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,919,096.95. This represents a 25.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 57,828 shares of company stock worth $13,350,279 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased 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 note on Friday, January 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $223.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Raymond James restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective (up previously from $240.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Evercore ISI reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $242.00 target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Monday, November 25th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $214.00 to $210.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $230.44.

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.