Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Purchases Shares of 10,725 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund purchased 10,725 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,161,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,158,562 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $10,092,108,000 after purchasing an additional 837,117 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.6% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,684,210 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,762,513,000 after buying an additional 196,475 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter worth approximately $1,328,587,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.0% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,872,982 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $982,071,000 after acquiring an additional 441,029 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Artisan Partners Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 3,443,454 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $752,877,000 after acquiring an additional 32,118 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $173.93 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $84.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $170.37 and a 12-month high of $248.00.

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

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on MRSH. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Mizuho restated a “neutral” rating and set a $199.00 price objective (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Barclays upped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $206.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $216.18.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.35% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.