Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the nineteen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, twelve have assigned a hold recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $284.1176.

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on AJG shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a report on Monday, December 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $292.00 price target on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Wolfe Research set a $289.00 price objective on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a report on Friday, October 31st.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. news, General Counsel Walter D. Bay sold 15,850 shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.00, for a total value of $4,041,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 79,549 shares in the company, valued at $20,284,995. The trade was a 16.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Christopher E. Mead sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $258.11, for a total transaction of $1,032,440.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 17,327 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,472,271.97. The trade was a 18.76% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 24,850 shares of company stock valued at $6,364,440. 1.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of AJG. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 870.0% in the third quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 97 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 650.0% during the 2nd quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 105 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Central Pacific Bank Trust Division increased its stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 40.6% in the third quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 135 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. 85.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Stock Up 1.9%

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. stock opened at $218.47 on Friday. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a fifty-two week low of $195.00 and a fifty-two week high of $351.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $56.17 billion, a PE ratio of 35.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.66. The company’s 50-day moving average is $247.17 and its 200-day moving average is $268.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.06.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.35 by $0.03. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a return on equity of 12.13% and a net margin of 11.84%.The firm had revenue of $3.57 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.61 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.12 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 33.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 11.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 20th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. This is a boost from Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.28%.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Company Profile

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co is a global insurance brokerage and risk management firm headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Founded in 1927 by Arthur J. Gallagher, the company has grown from a regional broker into an international professional services organization that arranges insurance, provides consulting and designs risk-transfer solutions for commercial, industrial, public sector and individual clients.

The company’s core activities include property and casualty insurance brokerage, employee benefits consulting and administration, and a range of risk management services.