Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. $AJG Stock: Kestra Advisory Services LLC Boosts Position

Key Points

• Kestra Advisory Services increased its AJG stake by 25.3% in the third quarter, adding 10,848 shares to bring its holdings to 53,729 shares, valued at about $13.1 million. Institutional investors collectively own 85.53% of the company.
• Analysts’ consensus rating is “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $292.05; recent targets ranged from $260 to $315.
• Arthur J. Gallagher reported quarterly EPS of $3.00, slightly ahead of estimates, while revenue of $3.92 billion fell short of expectations. The company also announced a $0.70 quarterly dividend.

Kestra Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG - Free Report) by 25.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 53,729 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 10,848 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. were worth $13,135,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Triumph Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 4,000.0% in the third 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 period. NFSG Corp grew its position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 4,033.3% in the third quarter. NFSG Corp now owns 124 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in the first quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of 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 valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. 85.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. news, CAO Richard C. Cary sold 1,000 shares of the business's 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 46,819 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,838,652.34. The trade was a 2.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Christopher E. Mead sold 7,590 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 2nd. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $6,234,119.64. The trade was a 25.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 90,596 shares of company stock valued at $24,953,010 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on AJG. Mizuho raised their target price on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $271.00 to $302.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $290.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, October 30th. Seaport Research Partners upgraded shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and set a $295.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, November 3rd. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $292.05.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AJG opened at $280.44 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $250.30 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $233.34. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a twelve month low of $190.75 and a twelve month high of $294.53.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The financial services provider reported $3.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.99 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $3.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.98 billion. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a return on equity of 13.90% and a net margin of 10.39%. The company's revenue was up 19.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.32 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 13.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Dividend Announcement

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

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Company Profile

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co is a global insurance brokerage and risk management services firm. It helps businesses and other organizations assess and manage risk, arrange insurance coverage, and address employee benefits needs.

The company's services include insurance brokerage, risk management consulting, employee benefits consulting, and claims and settlement services through its Gallagher Bassett business. It serves clients in the United States and internationally, including through a network of correspondent brokers.

Founded in 1927 by Arthur J.

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