Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC Has $27.31 Million Position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. $AJG

Key Points

• Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC has reduced its position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG) by 19.3%, bringing its holdings to 79,117 shares valued at approximately $27.31 million.
• Several institutional investors, including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc., significantly increased their stakes in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., indicating strong interest from large investment firms.
• The company announced a dividend of $0.65 per share to be paid on September 19, with a current dividend yield of 0.9% and a payout ratio of 36.93%.

Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC lowered its stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG - Free Report) by 19.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 79,117 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 18,922 shares during the quarter. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. comprises 2.5% of Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC's holdings in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. were worth $27,314,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in AJG. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 205.4% in the fourth quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 113 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Parvin Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Centennial Bank AR acquired a new position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in the 1st quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 2,750.0% during the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 114 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.53% of the company's stock.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Stock Performance

NYSE AJG traded up $0.96 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $301.16. The company's stock had a trading volume of 349,056 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,536,092. The firm has a market capitalization of $77.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.85 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $305.82 and a 200 day moving average price of $322.05. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a 12 month low of $274.25 and a 12 month high of $351.23.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The financial services provider reported $2.33 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.36 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $3.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.20 billion. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a net margin of 14.54% and a return on equity of 13.17%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 16.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.29 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 11.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 5th will be given a dividend of $0.65 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 5th. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.93%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $326.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $346.00 to $327.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $317.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $352.00 to $372.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, August 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $331.07.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Company Profile

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co engages in the provision of insurance brokerage, reinsurance brokerage, consulting, and third-party claims settlement and administration services. It operates through the following segments: Brokerage, Risk Management, and Corporate. The Brokerage segment consists of retail and wholesale insurance brokerage operations.