Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG) Competitors

Erie Indemnity (NASDAQ:ERIE) and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) are both large-cap finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, media sentiment, risk and earnings.

Does the media refer more to ERIE or AJG?

In the previous week, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had 56 more articles in the media than Erie Indemnity. MarketBeat recorded 56 mentions for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. and 0 mentions for Erie Indemnity. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.'s average media sentiment score of 0.72 beat Erie Indemnity's score of 0.00 indicating that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Overall Sentiment
Erie Indemnity	Neutral
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.	Positive

Which has better valuation and earnings, ERIE or AJG?

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has higher revenue and earnings than Erie Indemnity. Erie Indemnity is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Erie Indemnity	$3.80B	4.36	$600.31M	$11.75	30.51
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.	$12.47B	5.89	$1.46B	$7.04	40.75

Is ERIE or AJG a better dividend stock?

Erie Indemnity pays an annual dividend of $5.46 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.5%. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. pays an annual dividend of $2.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.9%. Erie Indemnity pays out 46.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. pays out 36.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Erie Indemnity has increased its dividend for 36 consecutive years and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has increased its dividend for 15 consecutive years. Erie Indemnity is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Which has more volatility & risk, ERIE or AJG?

Erie Indemnity has a beta of 0.32, meaning that its stock price is 68% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a beta of 0.68, meaning that its stock price is 32% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Do institutionals and insiders believe in ERIE or AJG?

33.7% of Erie Indemnity shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 85.5% of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. shares are owned by institutional investors. 45.8% of Erie Indemnity shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.6% of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Is ERIE or AJG more profitable?

Erie Indemnity has a net margin of 15.73% compared to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.'s net margin of 14.54%. Erie Indemnity's return on equity of 31.37% beat Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.'s return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Erie Indemnity	15.73%	31.37%	21.53%
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.	14.54%	13.17%	3.72%

Do analysts recommend ERIE or AJG?

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a consensus price target of $329.15, suggesting a potential upside of 14.74%. Given Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.'s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. is more favorable than Erie Indemnity.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Erie Indemnity	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	0 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0.00
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.	1 Sell rating(s)	8 Hold rating(s)	5 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.29

Summary

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. beats Erie Indemnity on 12 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.