Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. Lowers Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. trimmed its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 4.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 85,159 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 4,178 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $15,799,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Activest Wealth Management grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1,754.5% in the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 204 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the period. Delta Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Delta Investment Management LLC now owns 3,622 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $672,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the period. Interchange Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.7% in the fourth quarter. Interchange Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,155 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $214,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Keybank National Association OH grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 22,416 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $4,159,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares during the period. Finally, Vest Financial LLC grew its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 28.6% in the fourth quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 1,929 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $358,000 after purchasing an additional 429 shares during the period. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on MRSH shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Evercore reduced their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $205.33.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

MRSH opened at $167.83 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $80.86 billion, a PE ratio of 20.98, a PEG ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a fifty day moving average of $173.42. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $164.89 and a 12-month high of $235.78.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 45.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,411,456.30. This represents a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.