Bahl & Gaynor Inc. Sells 24,286 Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC)

Bahl & Gaynor Inc. cut its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 1.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,904,629 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 24,286 shares during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies makes up about 2.1% of Bahl & Gaynor Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. owned 0.39% of Marsh & McLennan Companies worth $404,562,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MMC. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. increased its stake in shares of 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 valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Albion Financial Group UT purchased a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth $38,000. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

NYSE MMC opened at $239.53 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $221.02 and a 200-day moving average price of $222.97. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $196.17 and a 52 week high of $239.81. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $117.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.25, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.96.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last released its quarterly earnings results 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%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 30th were issued a dividend of $0.815 per share. This represents a $3.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.36%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 30th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.80%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on MMC shares. Evercore ISI reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $242.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Monday, November 25th. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $242.00 to $250.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $223.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Raymond James restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $250.00 price target (up previously from $240.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $230.44.

Marsh & McLennan Companies 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.