Sylvest Advisors LLC Makes New Investment in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Sylvest Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 3,504 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $650,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MRSH. Numerai GP LLC increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 966.2% in the 3rd quarter. Numerai GP LLC now owns 37,220 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $7,501,000 after purchasing an additional 33,729 shares during the period. Rockland Trust Co. grew its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 801.6% in the third quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 12,073 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,433,000 after purchasing an additional 10,734 shares during the last quarter. Navera Investment Management Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 7.0% in the third quarter. Navera Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,623,960 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $327,303,000 after buying an additional 105,954 shares during the period. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 41.7% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,202,372 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $443,844,000 after buying an additional 647,987 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bridges Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 76,196 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $15,356,000 after buying an additional 3,177 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MRSH. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $242.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Weiss Ratings began coverage on Marsh & McLennan Companies in a report on Thursday, January 29th. They set a “hold (c)” rating on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Mizuho reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $199.00 price objective (down from $213.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Friday, February 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $212.06.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

MRSH stock opened at $174.49 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $164.89 and a fifty-two week high of $248.00. The stock has a market cap of $84.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.75. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $175.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.60% and a net margin of 15.42%.The firm’s revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.87 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.70%.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company 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.