Ledyard National Bank Raises Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC)

Ledyard National Bank boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 81.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 7,045 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,164 shares during the period. Ledyard National Bank’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $1,496,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. grew its holdings in 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 during the period. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Albion Financial Group UT bought a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in the third quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MMC has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $242.00 to $250.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Raymond James reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 price objective (up from $240.00) on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $220.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, October 18th. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $248.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $230.44.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MMC opened at $225.97 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $194.50 and a 1-year high of $235.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $217.08 and its 200 day moving average is $221.49. The stock has a market cap of $110.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.96.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.87 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.815 per share. This represents a $3.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.44%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 30th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.80%.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

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.