Blue Trust Inc. Invests $2.41 Million in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Blue Trust Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm bought 13,875 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,407,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MRSH. Procyon Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 2,279 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $423,000 after buying an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 1,758 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $326,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. Lindenwold Advisors INC lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% during the third quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC now owns 14,994 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,022,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,673 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $306,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Heartland Consultants Inc. boosted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 7.1% in the third quarter. First Heartland Consultants Inc. now owns 1,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $202,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

MRSH stock opened at $162.22 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $156.60 and a one year high of $219.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.37 billion, a PE ratio of 20.28, a P/E/G ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.62.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $18,889,506.81. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. 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 research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $200.19.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company 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.