Welch & Forbes LLC Buys Shares of 6,844 Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Welch & Forbes LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 6,844 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,270,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRSH. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth $29,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter worth about $32,000. City Holding Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRSH opened at $159.73 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $77.17 billion, a PE ratio of 19.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $157.74 and a 12 month high of $235.78. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $164.87.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total transaction of $3,052,861.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on MRSH. Raymond James Financial raised Marsh & McLennan Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $225.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Citigroup upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Bank of America decreased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $181.00 to $174.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $203.56.

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.