California State Teachers Retirement System Cuts Stock Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

California State Teachers Retirement System trimmed its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 3.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 729,798 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 22,476 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System owned about 0.15% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $126,583,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 51.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,856,000 after purchasing an additional 2,960 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 39.6% during the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 3,064 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $651,000 after buying an additional 869 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Trust co lifted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.8% in the 2nd quarter. Glenview Trust co now owns 3,897 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $852,000 after acquiring an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 18,440.0% during the 2nd quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 927 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $203,000 after acquiring an additional 922 shares during the period. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,307,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

MRSH opened at $197.56 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $94.28 billion, a PE ratio of 24.15, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.61. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $172.40. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $156.60 and a 52-week high of $213.80.

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.99 per share. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. This is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is presently 48.41%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRSH has been the subject of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Citigroup lowered shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 price target for the company. in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $216.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. 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 research report on Wednesday, April 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $201.94.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, Director Lloyd M. Yates sold 12,000 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.65, for a total transaction of $2,107,800.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 12,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,107,975.65. The trade was a 50.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 35,756 shares of company stock worth $6,150,171 over the last 90 days. 0.38% of the stock is owned by company 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.