Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. Makes New $55.23 Million Investment in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 297,678 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $55,225,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Procyon Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 2,279 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $423,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 1,758 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $326,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC now owns 14,994 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,022,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,673 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $306,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 9,996 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,015,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value of $2,693,441.76. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of MRSH stock opened at $166.67 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $156.60 and a 1 year high of $220.32. The firm has a market cap of $80.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.62.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The company had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Citigroup upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Mizuho decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $199.00 to $193.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. UBS Group decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $203.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Raymond James Financial upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $200.19.

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.