Arthur J Gallagher & Co Valuation – February 2019 $AJG
Company Profile (excerpt from Reuters): Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., incorporated on March 30, 1972, is engaged in providing insurance brokerage and consulting services, and third-party claims settlement and administration services to both domestic and international entities. The Company operates through three segments: brokerage, risk management and corporate. As of December 31, 2016, the Company operated primarily as a retail commercial property and casualty broker throughout more than 35 locations in Australia, 35 locations in Canada and 25 locations in New Zealand. As of December 31, 2016, in the United Kingdom, the Company operated as a retail broker from approximately 100 locations. The Company also has an underwriting operation for clients to access Lloyd’s of London and other international insurance markets, and a program operation offering risk management products and services to the United Kingdom public entities. In Bermuda, the Company acts principally as a wholesaler for clients looking to access the Bermuda insurance markets and also provides services relating to the formation and management of offshore captive insurance companies. As of December 31, 2016, through its global network of correspondent insurance brokers and consultants, the Company served its clients’ coverage and serviced needs in more than 150 countries around the world.
Downloadable PDF version of this valuation:
ModernGraham Valuation of AJG – February 2019
Stage 1: Is this company suitable for the Defensive Investor or the Enterprising Investor?
What kind of Intelligent Investor are you?
| Defensive Investor; must pass all 6 of the following tests. | ||||
| 1. Adequate Size of the Enterprise | Market Cap > $2Bil | $14,824,192,568 | Pass | |
| 2. Earnings Stability | Positive EPS for 10 years prior | Pass | ||
| 3. Dividend Record | Dividend Payments for 10 years prior | Pass | ||
| 4. Earnings Growth | Increase of 33% in EPS in past 10 years using 3 year averages at beginning and end | 116.11% | Pass | |
| 5. Moderate PEmg Ratio | PEmg < 20 | 25.83 | Fail | |
| 6. Moderate Price to Assets | PB Ratio < 2.5 OR PB*PEmg < 50 | 3.31 | Fail | |
| Enterprising Investor; must pass all 3 of the following tests, or be suitable for the Defensive Investor. | ||||
| 1. Earnings Stability | Positive EPS for 5 years prior | Pass | ||
| 2. Dividend Record | Currently Pays Dividend | Pass | ||
| 3. Earnings Growth | EPSmg greater than 5 years ago | Pass | ||
Stage 2: Determination of Intrinsic Value
| EPSmg | $3.12 |
| MG Growth Estimate | 9.34% |
| MG Value | $84.76 |
| Opinion | Fairly Valued |
| MG Grade | B- |
| MG Value based on 3% Growth | $45.21 |
| MG Value based on 0% Growth | $26.50 |
| Market Implied Growth Rate | 8.67% |
| Current Price | $80.54 |
| % of Intrinsic Value | 95.02% |
Arthur J Gallagher & Co is suitable for the Enterprising Investor but not the more conservative Defensive Investor. The Defensive Investor is concerned with the high PEmg and PB ratios. The Enterprising Investor has no initial concerns. As a result, all Enterprising Investors following the ModernGraham approach should feel comfortable proceeding with the analysis.
As for a valuation, the company appears to be Fairly Valued after growing its EPSmg (normalized earnings) from $1.92 in 2015 to an estimated $3.12 for 2019. This level of demonstrated earnings growth supports the market’s implied estimate of 8.67% annual earnings growth over the next 7-10 years. As a result, the ModernGraham valuation model, based on Benjamin Graham’s formula, returns an estimate of intrinsic value within a margin of safety relative to the price.
At the time of valuation, further research into Arthur J Gallagher & Co revealed the company was trading above its Graham Number of $45.42. The company pays a dividend of $1.64 per share, for a yield of 2% Its PEmg (price over earnings per share – ModernGraham) was 25.83, which was below the industry average of 32.96, which by some methods of valuation makes it one of the most undervalued stocks in its industry.
Arthur J Gallagher & Co performs fairly well in the ModernGraham grading system, scoring a B-.
Stage 3: Information for Further Research
| Graham Number | $45.42 |
| PEmg | 25.83 |
| PB Ratio | 3.31 |
| Dividend Yield | 2.04% |
| TTM Dividend | $1.64 |
| Number of Consecutive Years of Dividend Growth | 8 |
Useful Links:
| ModernGraham tagged articles | Morningstar |
| Google Finance | MSN Money |
| Yahoo Finance | Seeking Alpha |
| GuruFocus | SEC Filings |
Most Recent Balance Sheet Figures
| Balance Sheet Information | 12/1/2018 |
| Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation | $3,091,400,000 |
| Total Assets | $16,334,000,000 |
| Intangible Assets | $6,398,600,000 |
| Total Liabilities | $11,764,300,000 |
| Shares Outstanding (Diluted Average) | 187,700,000 |
Earnings Per Share History
| EPS History | |
| Next Fiscal Year Estimate | $3.75 |
| Dec2018 | $3.40 |
| Dec2017 | $2.64 |
| Dec2016 | $2.22 |
| Dec2015 | $2.06 |
| Dec2014 | $1.97 |
| Dec2013 | $2.06 |
| Dec2012 | $1.59 |
| Dec2011 | $1.28 |
| Dec2010 | $1.66 |
| Dec2009 | $1.28 |
| Dec2008 | $0.82 |
| Dec2007 | $1.43 |
| Dec2006 | $1.31 |
| Dec2005 | $0.32 |
| Dec2004 | $1.99 |
| Dec2003 | $1.57 |
| Dec2002 | $1.41 |
| Dec2001 | $1.39 |
| Dec2000 | $1.04 |
| Dec1999 | $0.87 |
Earnings Per Share – ModernGraham History
| EPSmg History | |
| Next Fiscal Year Estimate | $3.12 |
| Dec2018 | $2.69 |
| Dec2017 | $2.28 |
| Dec2016 | $2.06 |
| Dec2015 | $1.92 |
| Dec2014 | $1.81 |
| Dec2013 | $1.67 |
| Dec2012 | $1.43 |
| Dec2011 | $1.33 |
| Dec2010 | $1.34 |
| Dec2009 | $1.13 |
| Dec2008 | $1.09 |
| Dec2007 | $1.26 |
| Dec2006 | $1.22 |
| Dec2005 | $1.23 |
| Dec2004 | $1.62 |
| Dec2003 | $1.37 |
Recommended Reading:
Other ModernGraham posts about the company
| Arthur J Gallagher & Co Valuation – April 2018 $AJG | |
| Arthur J Gallagher & Co Valuation – December 2016 $AJG | |
| Arthur J Gallagher & Company Analysis – Initial Coverage $AJG |
Other ModernGraham posts about related companies
Disclaimer:
The author did not hold a position in any company mentioned in this article at the time of publication and had no intention of changing that position within the next 72 hours.  See my current holdings here.  This article is not investment advice; any reader should speak to a registered investment adviser prior to making any investment decisions.  ModernGraham is not affiliated with the company in any manner.  Please be sure to review our detailed disclaimer.
