Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC Sells 104,960 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC reduced its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 54.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 86,438 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 104,960 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $16,030,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 21,538,014 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,340,556,000 after acquiring an additional 96,436 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% during the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,590,697 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,745,889,000 after acquiring an additional 221,033 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,702,898 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,567,410,000 after purchasing an additional 92,767 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.1% in the 3rd 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 purchasing an additional 1,260,434 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 9,861,067 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,987,301,000 after purchasing an additional 68,826 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MRSH. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $203.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings assumed coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. They issued a “hold (c)” rating on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $212.06.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Marsh & McLennan Companies stock opened at $173.92 on Thursday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $164.89 and a fifty-two week high of $248.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $176.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $84.20 billion, a PE ratio of 20.63, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.74.

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 firm had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.52 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.87 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. 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%.

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 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 completion of the transaction, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.