Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) Price Target Raised to $320.00

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) had its price target raised by UBS Group from $299.00 to $320.00 in a report issued on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

AJG has been the subject of a number of other reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a report on Friday, October 30th. Evercore boosted their price objective on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $295.00 to $307.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $300.00 to $295.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. Oppenheimer started coverage on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. They issued a “market perform” rating for the company. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their target price on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $300.00 to $280.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $292.05.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Stock Up 5.6%

AJG opened at $288.75 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $249.16 and a 200-day moving average of $232.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a 1-year low of $190.75 and a 1-year high of $289.93.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) last announced its 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. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a net margin of 10.39% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The business had revenue of $3.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.98 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.32 earnings per share. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.’s revenue was up 19.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 13.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 18th. Investors of record on Monday, December 7th will be given a dividend of $0.70 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 7th. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 42.81%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

In related news, VP Christopher Mead sold 7,590 shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $279.72, for a total transaction of $2,123,074.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 22,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,234,119.64. This trade represents a 25.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Scott Hudson sold 12,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.13, for a total transaction of $3,169,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 90,262 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,840,902.06. This trade represents a 11.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 67,086 shares of company stock worth $18,214,574 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Triumph Capital Management grew its position in 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 acquiring an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. NFSG Corp raised its position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 4,033.3% in the 3rd quarter. NFSG Corp now owns 124 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in the first quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 57.4% in the third quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 148 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.53% of the company’s stock.

More Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target to $319 from $295 and maintained a Buy rating, citing potential upside. Wells Fargo also issued a Buy rating. Wells Fargo rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Gallagher named Tom Doyle CEO of its Benefits & HR Consulting division as part of a leadership transition. The change may support continuity, though no financial impact was specified. Leadership transition announcement
• Negative Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets cut AJG to Market Perform from Outperform, with a $295 target, saying it was “taking profits.” Citigroup also downgraded the stock to Neutral, saying the risk-reward balance had shifted. BMO downgrade Citigroup downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: CFO Douglas Howell sold 30,996 shares and VP Christopher Mead sold 7,590 shares. Both sales reduced their respective holdings by about 25%; insider sales can weigh on sentiment, although they do not necessarily signal a change in the company’s outlook. CFO sale filing VP sale filing

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.