208,338 Shares in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) Bought by Banque Pictet & Cie SA

Banque Pictet & Cie SA bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 208,338 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $44,253,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MMC. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 85.7% in the third quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 130 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Albion Financial Group UT purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

NYSE MMC opened at $231.06 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $195.99 and a 12-month high of $235.50. The company has a market capitalization of $113.48 billion, a PE ratio of 28.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.96. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $216.66 and its 200-day moving average is $221.83.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.87 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.75 by $0.12. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 16.60% and a return on equity of 32.60%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be issued a $0.815 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 30th. This represents a $3.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.41%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.80%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MMC. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $242.00 to $250.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $236.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $217.00 to $228.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Roth Mkm raised their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 18th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $255.00 to $259.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $230.44.

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.