Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) VP Christopher Mead Sells 7,590 Shares of Company Stock

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) VP Christopher Mead sold 7,590 shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. stock in a transaction on Monday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $279.72, for a total value of $2,123,074.80. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 22,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,234,119.64. The trade was a 25.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Price Performance

Shares of AJG opened at $288.75 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.05. The firm has a market cap of $74.01 billion, a PE ratio of 21.55, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.47. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a twelve month low of $190.75 and a twelve month high of $289.93. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $249.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $232.91.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The financial services provider reported $3.00 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.99 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $3.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.98 billion. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a net margin of 10.39% and a return on equity of 13.90%. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.’s quarterly revenue was up 19.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.32 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 13.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.70 per share. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 7th. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.’s dividend payout ratio is 42.81%.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target to $319 from $295 and maintained a Buy rating, citing potential upside. Wells Fargo also issued a Buy rating. Wells Fargo rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Gallagher named Tom Doyle CEO of its Benefits & HR Consulting division as part of a leadership transition. The change may support continuity, though no financial impact was specified. Leadership transition announcement
• Negative Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets cut AJG to Market Perform from Outperform, with a $295 target, saying it was “taking profits.” Citigroup also downgraded the stock to Neutral, saying the risk-reward balance had shifted. BMO downgrade Citigroup downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: CFO Douglas Howell sold 30,996 shares and VP Christopher Mead sold 7,590 shares. Both sales reduced their respective holdings by about 25%; insider sales can weigh on sentiment, although they do not necessarily signal a change in the company’s outlook. CFO sale filing VP sale filing

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on AJG. Argus raised their price objective on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $267.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Seaport Research Partners upgraded Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $271.00 to $302.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 30th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $290.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $292.05.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AJG. Lido Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 526.7% in the third quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 52,739 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $12,030,000 after buying an additional 44,323 shares during the period. Keybank National Association OH grew its position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 6.1% during the third quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 7,802 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,780,000 after buying an additional 446 shares in the last quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 24.7% during the third quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 46,214 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $11,338,000 after acquiring an additional 9,161 shares during the period. DMKC Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the third quarter valued at about $2,263,000. Finally, 71 West Capital Partners raised its holdings in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 11.4% in the 3rd quarter. 71 West Capital Partners now owns 1,785 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $407,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. 85.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Company Profile

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co is a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting company. The firm helps businesses, public entities and individuals identify, manage and transfer risk through insurance and related services.

Its operations include retail insurance brokerage, employee benefits consulting, wholesale brokerage, reinsurance brokerage, claims administration and risk management consulting. Gallagher places commercial and personal insurance coverage and provides services related to property and casualty risks, health care, benefits, and other specialized insurance needs.

Founded in 1927 by Arthur J.