Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund Makes New Investment in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 55,427 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $9,614,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,589,633 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $8,643,309,000 after acquiring an additional 387,100 shares during the period. State Street Corp purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $3,140,284,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $2,967,927,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRSH has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Mizuho decreased their target price 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. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $199.81.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,889,506.81. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 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 Price Performance

MRSH stock opened at $178.87 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $86.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.36, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.61. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $156.60 and a one year high of $216.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (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 company had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be issued a $0.99 dividend. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. This is an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.00%.

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.