Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) Given New $319.00 Price Target at Jefferies Financial Group

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) had its price target hoisted by investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $295.00 to $319.00 in a report released on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group‘s price objective suggests a potential upside of 16.80% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $290.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $296.00 target price on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a report on Friday. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Seaport Research Partners upgraded shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $299.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Thirteen equities research 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 stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $292.05.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Price Performance

NYSE:AJG traded down $5.79 on Tuesday, reaching $273.11. 1,227,340 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,886,098. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $248.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $232.66. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a 12 month low of $190.75 and a 12 month high of $281.53. The firm has a market cap of $70.00 billion, a PE ratio of 41.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The financial services provider reported $3.00 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.01. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a return on equity of 13.28% and a net margin of 9.96%. The firm had revenue of $3.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.98 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.32 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 19.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 13.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

In other Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. news, VP Scott Hudson sold 12,000 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 90,262 shares in the company, valued at $23,840,902.06. This trade represents a 11.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, General Counsel Walter Bay sold 12,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.08, for a total transaction of $3,240,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 71,292 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,254,543.36. This trade represents a 14.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 28,500 shares of company stock worth $7,562,950 over the last three months. 1.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 4.9% in the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 811 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $186,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Sowell Financial Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 3.4% in the third quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC now owns 1,157 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $264,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. MGO One Seven LLC increased its position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 0.6% during the third quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 6,989 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,594,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. Conning Inc. increased its position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 4.4% during the third quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 981 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $224,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the period. Finally, Archford Capital Strategies LLC raised its stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 2.4% in the second quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC now owns 1,871 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $430,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. 85.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS reiterated a buy rating and lifted its price target to $320 from $299. Wells Fargo also raised its target, to $312 from $284, while maintaining an overweight rating.
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s Q3 earnings call highlighted strong growth, offering a supportive business outlook. Arthur J. Gallagher Earnings Call Signals Strong Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Gallagher announced a leadership transition in its Benefits & HR Consulting division; the announcement provides no details indicating a material financial impact. Leadership transition announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Citi cut AJG to neutral, saying the risk-reward balance has become more even. Its price target rose to $300 from $285, but the rating change may temper investor enthusiasm. Citigroup downgrades Arthur J. Gallagher to Neutral
• Negative Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets downgraded the stock from outperform to market perform, despite setting a $295 target. Together, the analyst rating changes provide a likely source of pressure on shares.

About Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

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.