Insider Selling: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) VP Sells 2,900 Shares of Stock

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) VP Christopher E. Mead sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $302.61, for a total value of $877,569.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 14,674 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,440,499.14. This represents a 16.50 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Stock Performance

Shares of AJG stock opened at $316.14 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $291.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $289.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.51. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a 52 week low of $230.08 and a 52 week high of $316.72. The company has a market capitalization of $78.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.49 and a beta of 0.77.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.03 by $0.10. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a return on equity of 16.47% and a net margin of 12.70%. On average, analysts expect that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 11.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be issued a $0.65 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 7th. This is an increase from Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. This represents a $2.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.82%. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AJG has been the topic of several recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $313.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Monday, November 25th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $320.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Barclays increased their price target on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $300.00 to $308.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $286.00 to $295.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Truist Financial raised their target price on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $275.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $307.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the 4th quarter worth about $94,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its holdings in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 337.7% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 3,243 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $921,000 after acquiring an additional 2,502 shares in the last quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,558 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $442,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 700.0% during the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 480 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $136,000 after purchasing an additional 420 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 27.9% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,987 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $565,000 after purchasing an additional 433 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.53% of the company’s stock.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Company Profile

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 business segments: Brokerage, Risk Management, and Corporate. The Brokerage segment consists of retail and wholesale insurance brokerage operations.