Cantor Fitzgerald Cuts Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) Price Target to $280.00

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) had its price target dropped by stock analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald from $300.00 to $280.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Cantor Fitzgerald’s price target indicates a potential upside of 21.70% from the company’s previous close.

AJG has been the topic of a number of other reports. Oppenheimer began coverage on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a report on Wednesday. They set a “market perform” rating on the stock. UBS Group upped their price objective on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $291.00 to $299.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $296.00 to $291.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Wolfe Research cut Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $285.67.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Trading Up 1.2%

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. stock opened at $230.08 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a 12-month low of $190.75 and a 12-month high of $313.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.55. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $248.78 and a 200 day moving average of $230.89.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.81 by $0.03. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a net margin of 9.96% and a return on equity of 13.28%. The firm had revenue of $3.95 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.01 billion. The company’s revenue was up 24.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.33 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 13.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

In related news, CAO Richard C. Cary sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 directly owned 46,819 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,838,652.34. This trade represents a 2.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Scott R. Hudson sold 12,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.13, for a total transaction of $3,169,560.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 90,262 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,840,902.06. The trade was a 11.73% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 28,500 shares of company stock worth $7,562,950. 1.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AJG. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Avalon Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Compass Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in the second quarter worth $45,000. 85.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Company Profile

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co is a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting company headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company helps businesses, public entities and individuals identify, manage and transfer risk through insurance brokerage, employee benefits consulting, risk management and related advisory services.

Gallagher operates through several businesses, including retail insurance brokerage, wholesale brokerage and reinsurance brokerage. Its Gallagher Re business provides reinsurance broking and advisory services, while Gallagher Bassett provides third-party claims administration and related risk management services.