Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) Shares Purchased by Schear Investment Advisers LLC

Schear Investment Advisers LLC increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 12.7% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 2,099 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 237 shares during the quarter. Schear Investment Advisers LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $446,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. lifted its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 85.7% during the third quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 130 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth $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 position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $41,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on MMC shares. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $236.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $220.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, October 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $223.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Raymond James reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 price target (up previously from $240.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $230.44.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Shares of MMC stock opened at $228.12 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $216.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $221.71. The stock has a market cap of $112.04 billion, a PE ratio of 27.85, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.13. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $194.94 and a 52-week high of $235.50.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.87 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.54 EPS for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared 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. This represents a $3.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.43%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 30th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.80%.

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.