Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) Given New $330.00 Price Target at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

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.

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.

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.