AJG vs. BNS: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AJG and BNS, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
AJG’s market capitalization stands at 81.47 billion USD, while BNS’s is 68.94 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.
BNS carries a higher beta at 1.21, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AJG (beta: 0.75) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | AJG | BNS |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | The Bank of Nova Scotia |
| Country | US | CA |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Insurance - Brokers | Banks - Diversified |
| CEO | J. Patrick Gallagher Jr. | L. Scott Thomson |
| Price | 318.1 USD | 55.35 USD |
| Market Cap | 81.47 billion USD | 68.94 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.75 | 1.21 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | June 20, 1984 | June 7, 2002 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AJG and BNS by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
AJG
9.41%
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 40.40%
- Q3
- 30.52%
- Median
- 22.48%
- Q1
- 4.38%
- Min
- -5.38%
AJG’s Return on Equity of 9.41% is on par with the norm for the Insurance - Brokers industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
BNS
8.21%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 20.93%
- Q3
- 14.73%
- Median
- 12.33%
- Q1
- 9.14%
- Min
- 5.86%
BNS’s Return on Equity of 8.21% is in the lower quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.
Return on Invested Capital
AJG
5.85%
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 11.62%
- Q3
- 11.18%
- Median
- 8.38%
- Q1
- 2.57%
- Min
- -1.51%
AJG’s Return on Invested Capital of 5.85% is in line with the norm for the Insurance - Brokers industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
BNS
0.18%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 2.95%
- Median
- 1.89%
- Q1
- 0.86%
- Min
- 0.18%
Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Banks - Diversified industry.
Net Profit Margin
AJG
12.96%
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 21.33%
- Q3
- 15.86%
- Median
- 10.63%
- Q1
- 1.06%
- Min
- -2.28%
AJG’s Net Profit Margin of 12.96% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Insurance - Brokers industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
BNS
15.04%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 33.40%
- Q3
- 26.40%
- Median
- 19.24%
- Q1
- 14.99%
- Min
- 7.95%
BNS’s Net Profit Margin of 15.04% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Banks - Diversified industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin
AJG
23.06%
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 28.73%
- Q3
- 23.24%
- Median
- 21.46%
- Q1
- 10.89%
- Min
- 5.35%
AJG’s Operating Profit Margin of 23.06% is around the midpoint for the Insurance - Brokers industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
BNS
8.60%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 50.90%
- Q3
- 37.76%
- Median
- 28.44%
- Q1
- 15.73%
- Min
- 8.60%
BNS’s Operating Profit Margin of 8.60% is in the lower quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AJG | BNS |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 9.41% | 8.21% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 2.10% | 0.47% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 5.85% | 0.18% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.96% | 15.04% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 23.06% | 8.60% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 55.08% | 100.00% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
AJG
1.44
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.76
- Median
- 1.29
- Q1
- 1.14
- Min
- 1.05
AJG’s Current Ratio of 1.44 aligns with the median group of the Insurance - Brokers industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
BNS
--
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 0.67
- Q3
- 0.49
- Median
- 0.39
- Q1
- 0.28
- Min
- 0.06
For the Banks - Diversified industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
AJG
0.04
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 4.59
- Q3
- 2.12
- Median
- 0.59
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.01
Falling into the lower quartile for the Insurance - Brokers industry, AJG’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.04 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
BNS
3.65
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 4.98
- Q3
- 3.65
- Median
- 3.13
- Q1
- 1.73
- Min
- 0.09
BNS’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 3.65 is typical for the Banks - Diversified industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio
AJG
29.40
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 29.40
- Q3
- 16.65
- Median
- 7.25
- Q1
- 4.20
- Min
- 1.60
AJG’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 29.40 is in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Brokers industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
BNS
0.09
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 0.98
- Q3
- 0.78
- Median
- 0.55
- Q1
- 0.31
- Min
- 0.09
The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Banks - Diversified industry.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AJG | BNS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.44 | -- |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.44 | -- |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.04 | 3.65 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.01 | 0.21 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | -4.68 | 136.92 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 29.40 | 0.09 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AJG and BNS. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
AJG
0.79%
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 2.63%
- Q3
- 1.34%
- Median
- 0.79%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AJG’s Dividend Yield of 0.79% is consistent with its peers in the Insurance - Brokers industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
BNS
7.28%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 7.73%
- Q3
- 4.16%
- Median
- 3.24%
- Q1
- 2.27%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 7.28%, BNS offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Banks - Diversified industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio
AJG
35.97%
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 45.22%
- Q3
- 39.19%
- Median
- 29.49%
- Q1
- 3.85%
- Min
- 0.00%
AJG’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 35.97% is within the typical range for the Insurance - Brokers industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
BNS
84.94%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 84.94%
- Q3
- 39.11%
- Median
- 26.91%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BNS’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 84.94% is in the upper quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AJG | BNS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.79% | 7.28% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 35.97% | 84.94% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
AJG
46.21
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 45.50
- Q3
- 35.20
- Median
- 30.00
- Q1
- 28.34
- Min
- 26.42
At 46.21, AJG’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Insurance - Brokers industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
BNS
13.86
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 14.13
- Q3
- 13.37
- Median
- 11.90
- Q1
- 9.29
- Min
- 7.43
A P/E Ratio of 13.86 places BNS in the upper quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
AJG
3.32
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 3.32
- Q3
- 3.00
- Median
- 2.77
- Q1
- 2.41
- Min
- 2.09
AJG’s Forward PEG Ratio of 3.32 is exceptionally high for the Insurance - Brokers industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.
BNS
1.10
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 1.41
- Median
- 1.15
- Q1
- 0.77
- Min
- 0.45
BNS’s Forward PEG Ratio of 1.10 is within the middle range of its peers in the Banks - Diversified industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
AJG
6.77
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 7.38
- Q3
- 5.34
- Median
- 4.27
- Q1
- 2.32
- Min
- 0.27
AJG’s P/S Ratio of 6.77 is in the upper echelon for the Insurance - Brokers industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
BNS
2.08
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 4.15
- Q3
- 2.92
- Median
- 2.29
- Q1
- 1.83
- Min
- 0.94
The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Banks - Diversified industry.
Price-to-Book Ratio
AJG
3.23
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 10.90
- Q3
- 8.10
- Median
- 6.93
- Q1
- 4.15
- Min
- 1.12
AJG’s P/B Ratio of 3.23 is in the lower quartile for the Insurance - Brokers industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.
BNS
1.10
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 1.89
- Q3
- 1.47
- Median
- 1.23
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.65
BNS’s P/B Ratio of 1.10 is in the lower quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AJG | BNS |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 46.21 | 13.86 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.32 | 1.10 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 6.77 | 2.08 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 3.23 | 1.10 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 32.26 | 5.37 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 19.36 | 190.39 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 5.46 | 7.42 |