Chatham Capital Group Inc. Sells 85 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC)

Chatham Capital Group Inc. trimmed its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 0.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,243 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 85 shares during the period. Chatham Capital Group Inc.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $2,256,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Transce3nd LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $39,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $45,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

MMC opened at $232.35 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $228.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $225.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $114.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.85. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $206.25 and a 12-month high of $248.00. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data 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. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.60% and a net margin of 16.60%. The company had revenue of $6.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.08 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.89 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.815 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 3rd. This represents a $3.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.40%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.95%.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO Dean Michael Klisura sold 7,121 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.97, for a total value of $1,673,221.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 20,935 shares in the company, valued at $4,919,096.95. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Nicholas Mark Studer sold 49,390 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.16, for a total value of $11,367,602.40. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 28,329 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,520,202.64. This represents a 63.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 69,634 shares of company stock worth $16,244,986 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MMC has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price 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. Redburn Atlantic started coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Tuesday, March 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $281.00 price objective for the company. Raymond James reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 target price (up previously from $240.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. UBS Group upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $259.00 to $261.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $223.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $241.93.

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.