UBS Group Issues Positive Forecast for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) Stock Price

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) had its target price lifted by equities research analysts at UBS Group from $299.00 to $320.00 in a research report issued on Monday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. UBS Group‘s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 14.60% from the company’s current price.

Several other analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Oppenheimer began coverage on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Wolfe Research downgraded Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Barclays lifted their target price on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $275.00 to $292.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $284.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Seaport Research Partners raised shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $289.89.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of AJG stock traded up $3.15 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $279.22. 2,800,435 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,889,663. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a 52 week low of $190.75 and a 52 week high of $281.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The business has a 50 day moving average of $248.41 and a two-hundred day moving average of $232.55. The company has a market capitalization of $71.56 billion, a PE ratio of 42.69, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.47.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The financial services provider reported $3.00 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.99 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $3.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.98 billion. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a net margin of 10.39% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The firm’s revenue was up 19.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.32 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 13.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. news, VP Christopher E. Mead sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $257.02, for a total transaction of $899,570.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 22,223 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,711,755.46. The trade was a 13.61% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Richard C. Cary sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $252.86, for a total value of $252,860.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 46,819 shares in the company, valued at $11,838,652.34. This trade represents a 2.09% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 28,500 shares of company stock worth $7,562,950. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in the first quarter valued at $28,000. Triumph Capital Management increased its stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 4,000.0% during the 3rd quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 123 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. NFSG Corp increased its stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 4,033.3% during the 3rd quarter. NFSG Corp now owns 124 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 57.4% in the 3rd quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 148 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. 85.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.