Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Reduces Stock Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund decreased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 55.0% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 248,408 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 303,959 shares during the quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $43,086,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $4,057,682,000. Capital International Investors purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $3,482,557,000. Capital World Investors purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $3,140,284,000. Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,967,927,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,710,101,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on MRSH shares. Citigroup lowered shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday. Bank of America cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $201.69.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 2.4%

Shares of NYSE MRSH opened at $180.66 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $86.21 billion, a PE ratio of 22.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $156.60 and a 12-month high of $213.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.14.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.67% and a net margin of 14.24%.Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.99 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. This is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% 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.