Polar Capital Holdings Plc Sells 122,375 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC)

Polar Capital Holdings Plc decreased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 12.3% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 874,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 122,375 shares during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies accounts for 1.0% of Polar Capital Holdings Plc’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position. Polar Capital Holdings Plc’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $185,646,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Albion Financial Group UT purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Transce3nd LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.5%

NYSE MMC opened at $222.55 on Thursday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $201.77 and a 52 week high of $248.00. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $229.42 and a two-hundred day moving average of $224.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $109.66 billion, a PE ratio of 27.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $6.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.08 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.60% and a net margin of 16.60%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.89 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.815 per share. This represents a $3.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.46%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 3rd. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.95%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on MMC. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $237.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, April 11th. Raymond James reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 target price (up from $240.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $246.00 to $249.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Tuesday, March 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $281.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $241.93.

Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, VP Stacy Mills sold 1,317 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.97, for a total transaction of $309,455.49. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 2,923 shares in the company, valued at $686,817.31. The trade was a 31.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Dean Michael Klisura sold 7,121 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.97, for a total transaction of $1,673,221.37. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 20,935 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,919,096.95. The trade was a 25.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 69,634 shares of company stock worth $16,244,986. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

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.