Russell Investments Group Ltd. Cuts Stock Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. decreased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 4.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 461,564 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 23,444 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $97,980,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MMC. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Albion Financial Group UT bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $38,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $45,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

MMC opened at $229.94 on Friday. 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 business has a fifty day moving average of $232.01 and a 200 day moving average of $224.52. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $196.17 and a 52-week high of $248.00. The stock has a market cap of $113.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.08, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.85.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be issued a $0.815 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 3rd. This represents a $3.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.42%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is 39.80%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on MMC shares. Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $281.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their target price for the company from $242.00 to $250.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted 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. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $223.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Raymond James restated an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 target price (up from $240.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $233.41.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Stacy Mills sold 1,317 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.97, for a total transaction of $309,455.49. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 2,923 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $686,817.31. This trade represents a 31.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Dean Michael Klisura sold 7,121 shares of the company’s 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 sale, the chief executive officer now owns 20,935 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,919,096.95. This represents a 25.38 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 67,397 shares of company stock valued at $15,694,684 over the last quarter. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.