Kinsale Capital Group Inc. Raises Holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC)

Kinsale Capital Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 14.0% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 30,778 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,774 shares during the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies accounts for approximately 1.8% of Kinsale Capital Group Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. Kinsale Capital Group Inc.’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $6,538,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MMC. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 6,698 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,494,000 after purchasing an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 4,165 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $929,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 153,578 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $34,263,000 after purchasing an additional 3,630 shares during the last quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter worth $258,000. Finally, Fullcircle Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. Fullcircle Wealth LLC now owns 5,255 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,166,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

NYSE:MMC opened at $237.78 on Friday. 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 business’s 50-day simple moving average is $220.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $222.83. The stock has a market cap of $116.78 billion, a PE ratio of 29.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.96. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $196.17 and a 52 week high of $237.97.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.87 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.12. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 32.60% and a net margin of 16.60%. As a group, analysts forecast 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 was paid on Friday, February 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 30th were issued a dividend of $0.815 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 30th. This represents a $3.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.37%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.80%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on MMC. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $242.00 to $250.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $212.00 to $223.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Evercore ISI restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $242.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Monday, November 25th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $214.00 to $210.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $236.00 to $246.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target 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.