Strs Ohio Sells 169,134 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Strs Ohio trimmed its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 98.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,211 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 169,134 shares during the period. Strs Ohio’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $596,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $8,643,309,000 after buying an additional 387,100 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 21,538,014 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,340,556,000 after buying an additional 96,436 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% during the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,590,697 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,745,889,000 after buying an additional 221,033 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% during the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,702,898 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,567,410,000 after buying an additional 92,767 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,091,478 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,041,386,000 after buying an additional 1,260,434 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $163.22 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $172.64. The company has a market capitalization of $78.64 billion, a PE ratio of 20.40, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.65. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $162.50 and a 52-week high of $235.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 45.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 6th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $205.00.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Profile

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MMC) is a global professional services firm headquartered in New York City that provides advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy and people. Founded in 1905, the company has grown into a diversified group of businesses focused on insurance brokerage and risk management, reinsurance, human capital and investment consulting, and management consulting. Its long history and scale position it as a prominent adviser to corporations, governments and other institutions seeking to manage risk and optimize human and financial capital.

The firm operates through several well-known subsidiaries and business units that specialize in distinct services.