Should You Be Adding Arthur J. Gallagher (NYSE:AJG) To Your Watchlist Today?

The excitement of investing in a company that can reverse its fortunes is a big draw for some speculators, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can manage to find investors. Sometimes these stories can cloud the minds of investors, leading them to invest with their emotions rather than on the merit of good company fundamentals. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.

Despite being in the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, many investors still adopt a more traditional strategy; buying shares in profitable companies like Arthur J. Gallagher (NYSE:AJG). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

Check out our latest analysis for Arthur J. Gallagher

How Quickly Is Arthur J. Gallagher Increasing Earnings Per Share?

If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. We can see that in the last three years Arthur J. Gallagher grew its EPS by 12% per year. That's a pretty good rate, if the company can sustain it.

Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. The good news is that Arthur J. Gallagher is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 2.8 percentage points to 21%, over the last year. Both of which are great metrics to check off for potential growth.

The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

Fortunately, we've got access to analyst forecasts of Arthur J. Gallagher's future profits. You can do your own forecasts without looking, or you can take a peek at what the professionals are predicting.

Are Arthur J. Gallagher Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Owing to the size of Arthur J. Gallagher, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a significant proportion of the company. But thanks to their investment in the company, it's pleasing to see that there are still incentives to align their actions with the shareholders. Notably, they have an enviable stake in the company, worth US$454m. This suggests that leadership will be very mindful of shareholders' interests when making decisions!

Should You Add Arthur J. Gallagher To Your Watchlist?

One important encouraging feature of Arthur J. Gallagher is that it is growing profits. If that's not enough on its own, there is also the rather notable levels of insider ownership. That combination is very appealing. So yes, we do think the stock is worth keeping an eye on. It's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Arthur J. Gallagher , and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

There's always the possibility of doing well buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But for those who consider these important metrics, we encourage you to check out companies that do have those features. You can access a free list of them here.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.