Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. Acquires 1,783 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC

Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 66,462 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,783 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $14,531,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 45,321,445 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $11,059,792,000 after buying an additional 581,930 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 54.2% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 12,814,788 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,127,193,000 after buying an additional 4,505,548 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 8.5% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,345,211 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,060,362,000 after buying an additional 340,907 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,038,594,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,858,136 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $697,471,000 after buying an additional 65,778 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MMC opened at $189.98 on Tuesday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $185.12 and a twelve month high of $248.00. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $202.68 and its 200-day moving average price is $213.51. The company has a market capitalization of $93.40 billion, a PE ratio of 22.78, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.78 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.79% and a net margin of 15.60%.The firm had revenue of $6.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.34 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.63 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 2nd will be paid a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 2nd. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 43.17%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on MMC. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $248.00 to $242.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Wolfe Research started coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Tuesday, September 16th. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. UBS Group cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $258.00 to $257.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the company from $200.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Monday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $233.67.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $205.65, for a total value of $4,334,896.35. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 87,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,031,597.65. The trade was a 19.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company 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.