Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) Shares Acquired by Occidental Asset Management LLC

Occidental Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 8.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 19,359 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,555 shares during the quarter. Occidental Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $4,112,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MMC. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 85.7% during the third quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 130 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Bangor Savings Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, Richardson Financial Services Inc. raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 390.9% in the second quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 270 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, Director Oscar Fanjul sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.55, for a total value of $553,875.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 48,549 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,756,030.95. This represents a 4.90 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MMC opened at $216.42 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $218.96 and a 200-day simple moving average of $221.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $188.31 and a 52 week high of $235.50. The company has a market cap of $106.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.96.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.63 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $5.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.71 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 16.82% and a return on equity of 32.65%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.57 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 8.68 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 30th will be given a dividend of $0.815 per share. This represents a $3.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 30th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.15%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on MMC shares. Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $242.00 to $250.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $211.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $214.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Evercore ISI reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $242.00 target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Monday, November 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $228.60.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.