Victory Capital Management Inc. Reduces Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Victory Capital Management Inc. decreased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 2.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 195,491 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 5,391 shares during the quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $39,397,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Hanson & Doremus Investment Management raised its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 31.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 214 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.8%

NYSE MRSH opened at $183.43 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $170.37 and a fifty-two week high of $248.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The firm has a market cap of $88.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.74.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.15. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.The business had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.52 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.87 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research 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, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.70%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRSH has been the topic of a number of research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Citigroup raised their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $201.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings began coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. They set a “hold (c)” rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $216.18.

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.