Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH Shares Acquired by Crawford Investment Counsel Inc.

Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 2.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 294,316 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 7,449 shares during the period. Crawford Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $59,314,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter worth about $1,328,587,000. Soundwatch Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter worth about $560,820,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 212.6% in the second quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,285,194 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $499,635,000 after purchasing an additional 1,554,114 shares in the last quarter. Amundi increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 89.2% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 2,892,576 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $615,309,000 after buying an additional 1,363,706 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake 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 valued at $3,041,386,000 after buying an additional 1,260,434 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $172.18 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $170.37 and a twelve month high of $248.00. The company has a market cap of $83.36 billion, a PE ratio of 20.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.The firm’s revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.87 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 42.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRSH has been the subject of several research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $200.00 target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Evercore decreased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $216.12.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies 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 transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.