UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp Reduces Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC

UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp cut its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 12.4% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,576 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 1,076 shares during the period. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $1,656,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MMC. Accent Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. Knuff & Co LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. Activest Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2,775.0% during the 1st quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 115 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the period. Capital Analysts LLC boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 61.0% in the 1st quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 169 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the period. Finally, Clean Yield Group boosted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 114.4% in the 2nd quarter. Clean Yield Group now owns 193 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of MMC opened at $178.43 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $198.93 and a 200-day moving average price of $211.32. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $178.31 and a fifty-two week high of $248.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $87.41 billion, a PE ratio of 21.39, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.12.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.78 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 15.60% and a return on equity of 31.79%. The firm had revenue of $6.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.34 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.63 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 2nd. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 43.17%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on MMC. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $256.00 price objective for the company. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $233.00 to $221.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $222.00 to $212.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $234.07.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $205.65, for a total transaction of $4,334,896.35. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 87,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,031,597.65. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.35% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company 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.