Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) Shares Acquired by Capital International Sarl

Capital International Sarl increased its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC - Free Report) by 18.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 60,367 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 9,487 shares during the period. Capital International Sarl's holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $12,823,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MMC. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. Albion Financial Group UT bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $45,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company's stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MMC traded up $7.43 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $219.53. 1,162,679 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,859,006. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $232.62 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $224.74. The company has a market cap of $108.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.85. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $196.72 and a 52-week high of $248.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.04. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.60% and a net margin of 16.60%. The business had revenue of $6.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.08 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.89 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.815 per share. This represents a $3.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.48%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 3rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies's payout ratio is 39.95%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Nicholas Mark Studer sold 49,390 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.16, for a total transaction of $11,367,602.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 28,329 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,520,202.64. The trade was a 63.55 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Dean Michael Klisura sold 7,121 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.97, for a total value of $1,673,221.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 20,935 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,919,096.95. The trade was a 25.38 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 69,634 shares of company stock valued at $16,244,986 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Raymond James restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $250.00 target price (up from $240.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, April 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Tuesday, March 25th. They set a "buy" rating and a $281.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $223.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $239.20.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Profile

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services.