Franklin Resources Inc. Purchases 28,536 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,549,969 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 28,536 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $312,365,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MRSH. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at $45,000. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Up 0.1%

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $170.98 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $82.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.74. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $170.37 and a 1-year high of $248.00. 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 posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 15.42% and a return on equity of 31.60%. The company had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.52 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.87 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings assumed coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. They set a “hold (c)” rating on the stock. 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. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $216.12.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the firm’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 value of $3,052,861.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.