PCM Encore LLC Takes Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

PCM Encore LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 3,383 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $564,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $8,643,309,000 after purchasing an additional 387,100 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at about $6,583,806,000. State Street Corp purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $3,482,557,000. Finally, Capital World Investors purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $3,140,284,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, Director Lloyd M. Yates sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.65, for a total transaction of $2,107,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 12,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,107,975.65. This represents a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, 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 value of $2,693,441.76. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 36,469 shares of company stock valued at $6,291,345 over the last ninety days. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.6%

MRSH opened at $190.26 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $90.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.59. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $156.60 and a 52 week high of $212.65. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $179.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.28 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.24% and a return on equity of 32.67%. The business’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd were paid a $0.99 dividend. This is a boost from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 23rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.41%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. UBS Group boosted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $216.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Citigroup lowered Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $203.50.

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.