Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Buys 56,621 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 5.7% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 1,058,647 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 56,621 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $193,269,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter worth $25,000. City Holding Co. bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter worth about $29,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on MRSH shares. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Evercore cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Raymond James Financial raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $205.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the business’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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.38% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $164.12 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $172.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $79.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.65. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $163.81 and a 12 month high of $235.78.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 45.00%.

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.