Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG - Free Report) had its target price lifted by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $326.00 to $330.00 in a research note published on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods currently has a market perform rating on the financial services provider's stock.
Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Redburn Atlantic started coverage on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a report on Tuesday, March 25th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $352.00 price target for the company. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $346.00 to $327.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $372.00 to $371.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $266.00 to $265.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $318.21.
Read Our Latest Analysis on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Stock Performance
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. stock traded up $1.41 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $315.17. 1,401,443 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,384,941. The company has a market capitalization of $80.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.61 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.44 and a quick ratio of 1.44. The firm's fifty day moving average is $328.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $320.16. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a fifty-two week low of $263.56 and a fifty-two week high of $351.23.
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The financial services provider reported $3.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.57 by $0.10. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a net margin of 14.39% and a return on equity of 14.83%. The firm had revenue of $3.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.85 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.45 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 14.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 11.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 6th were paid a $0.65 dividend. This represents a $2.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.82%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 6th. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.63%.
Insider Activity
In related news, Director David S. Johnson sold 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $342.04, for a total value of $342,040.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 45,323 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $15,502,278.92. This represents a 2.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Susan E. Pietrucha sold 13,500 shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $344.13, for a total transaction of $4,645,755.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 11,941 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,109,256.33. The trade was a 53.06% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 25,000 shares of company stock worth $8,528,080 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AJG. Proficio Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 19.7% during the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 948 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $269,000 after buying an additional 156 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its holdings in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 9.3% in the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 47,236 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $13,408,000 after acquiring an additional 4,012 shares during the last quarter. Moran Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $202,000. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 36.3% during the fourth quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 1,506 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $427,000 after buying an additional 401 shares during the period. Finally, Independent Advisor Alliance raised its holdings in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 13.3% in the 4th quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 4,054 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,151,000 after buying an additional 477 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.53% of the company's stock.
About Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
(
Get Free Report)
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.
Further Reading

Before you consider Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. wasn't on the list.
While Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. currently has a Hold rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
Enter your email address and we'll send you MarketBeat's guide to investing in 5G and which 5G stocks show the most promise.
Get This Free Report
Like this article? Share it with a colleague.
Link copied to clipboard.