Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) Stock Price Target Raised at Jefferies Financial Group

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) had its price target hoisted by research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $295.00 to $319.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group‘s price objective points to a potential upside of 16.80% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $284.00 to $312.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a research note on Friday. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $299.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Oppenheimer began coverage on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. Finally, Argus raised their price target on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $267.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $292.05.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Stock Down 2.1%

Shares of AJG stock traded down $5.79 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $273.11. 1,227,340 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,886,098. The business’s fifty day moving average is $248.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $232.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 1.05. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a 12-month low of $190.75 and a 12-month high of $281.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $70.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.47.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The financial services provider reported $3.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $3.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.98 billion. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a net margin of 9.96% and a return on equity of 13.28%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 19.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.32 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 13.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, General Counsel Walter D. Bay sold 12,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.08, for a total value of $3,240,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel directly owned 71,292 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,254,543.36. This trade represents a 14.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Richard C. Cary sold 1,000 shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.86, for a total value of $252,860.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 46,819 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,838,652.34. This trade represents a 2.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 28,500 shares of company stock worth $7,562,950 over the last quarter. 1.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 4,287 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $978,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. United Advisor Group LLC purchased a new stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the third quarter worth about $217,000. Heritage Family Offices LLP purchased a new stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the third quarter worth about $151,000. Calamos Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 2.1% during the third quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC now owns 85,701 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $19,549,000 after buying an additional 1,727 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alta Advisers Ltd grew its position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 96.2% during the third quarter. Alta Advisers Ltd now owns 1,919 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $438,000 after buying an additional 941 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.53% of the company’s stock.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS reiterated a buy rating and lifted its price target to $320 from $299. Wells Fargo also raised its target, to $312 from $284, while maintaining an overweight rating.
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s Q3 earnings call highlighted strong growth, offering a supportive business outlook. Arthur J. Gallagher Earnings Call Signals Strong Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Gallagher announced a leadership transition in its Benefits & HR Consulting division; the announcement provides no details indicating a material financial impact. Leadership transition announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Citi cut AJG to neutral, saying the risk-reward balance has become more even. Its price target rose to $300 from $285, but the rating change may temper investor enthusiasm. Citigroup downgrades Arthur J. Gallagher to Neutral
• Negative Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets downgraded the stock from outperform to market perform, despite setting a $295 target. Together, the analyst rating changes provide a likely source of pressure on shares.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Company Profile

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co is a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting company. The firm helps businesses, public entities and individuals identify, manage and transfer risk through insurance and related services.

Its operations include retail insurance brokerage, employee benefits consulting, wholesale brokerage, reinsurance brokerage, claims administration and risk management consulting. Gallagher places commercial and personal insurance coverage and provides services related to property and casualty risks, health care, benefits, and other specialized insurance needs.

Founded in 1927 by Arthur J.