Lombard Odier Asset Management Europe Ltd Takes Position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Lombard Odier Asset Management Europe Ltd acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 84,056 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $14,580,000.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Waverly Advisors LLC lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 21.4% during the first quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC now owns 15,035 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,608,000 after purchasing an additional 2,652 shares during the period. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the first quarter worth about $775,000. Gabelli Funds LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter worth about $10,528,000. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter valued at approximately $3,408,000. Finally, Compound Planning Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 53.2% during the 1st quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 4,210 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $730,000 after purchasing an additional 1,462 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRSH has been the topic of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 6th. Bank of America reduced their target price 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, Citigroup lowered Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $201.69.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,889,506.81. The trade was a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 2.4%

MRSH stock opened at $180.66 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $156.60 and a 12-month high of $213.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $86.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.09, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.61.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.96 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.28 billion during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.67% and a net margin of 14.24%.Marsh & McLennan Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be paid a $0.99 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. This is an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.41%.

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.