Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Sells 62 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC)

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. reduced its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 10,692 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 62 shares during the period. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $2,271,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in MMC. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Albion Financial Group UT purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth $38,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth $45,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MMC has been the topic of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Raymond James reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 price objective (up from $240.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $223.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $242.00 to $250.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $214.00 to $210.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $233.41.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO Nicholas Mark Studer sold 49,390 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.16, for a total transaction of $11,367,602.40. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 28,329 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,520,202.64. This trade represents a 63.55 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Dean Michael Klisura sold 7,121 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owns 20,935 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,919,096.95. The trade was a 25.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 57,828 shares of company stock worth $13,350,279 over the last 90 days. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of MMC opened at $236.78 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $116.29 billion, a PE ratio of 28.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $228.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $223.84. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $196.17 and a 1-year high of $241.84.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.12. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.60% and a net margin of 16.60%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be issued a $0.815 dividend. This represents a $3.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.38%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 3rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.80%.

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.