AJG vs. COF: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AJG and COF, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
COF’s market capitalization of 141.41 billion USD is significantly greater than AJG’s 81.47 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.
COF carries a higher beta at 1.13, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AJG (beta: 0.75) exhibits greater stability.
Symbol | AJG | COF |
---|---|---|
Company Name | Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | Capital One Financial Corporation |
Country | US | US |
Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
Industry | Insurance - Brokers | Financial - Credit Services |
CEO | J. Patrick Gallagher Jr. | Richard D. Fairbank |
Price | 318.1 USD | 220.91 USD |
Market Cap | 81.47 billion USD | 141.41 billion USD |
Beta | 0.75 | 1.13 |
Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
IPO Date | June 20, 1984 | November 16, 1994 |
ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AJG and COF 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.
COF
7.95%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 34.05%
- Q3
- 18.70%
- Median
- 10.57%
- Q1
- 3.55%
- Min
- -12.12%
COF’s Return on Equity of 7.95% is on par with the norm for the Financial - Credit Services industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
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.
COF
3.88%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 68.11%
- Q3
- 32.26%
- Median
- 9.52%
- Q1
- 3.37%
- Min
- -7.03%
Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Financial - Credit Services 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.
COF
8.98%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 39.42%
- Q3
- 20.10%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 5.82%
- Min
- -14.80%
COF’s Net Profit Margin of 8.98% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Financial - Credit Services 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.
COF
11.16%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 77.26%
- Q3
- 42.86%
- Median
- 17.99%
- Q1
- 10.82%
- Min
- -14.94%
COF’s Operating Profit Margin of 11.16% is around the midpoint for the Financial - Credit Services industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
Symbol | AJG | COF |
---|---|---|
Return on Equity (TTM) | 9.41% | 7.95% |
Return on Assets (TTM) | 2.10% | 0.99% |
Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 5.85% | 3.88% |
Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.96% | 8.98% |
Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 23.06% | 11.16% |
Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 55.08% | 52.18% |
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.
COF
0.15
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 8.15
- Q3
- 4.39
- Median
- 2.62
- Q1
- 1.06
- Min
- 0.15
For the Financial - Credit Services 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.
COF
0.66
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 4.69
- Q3
- 2.55
- Median
- 1.20
- Q1
- 0.55
- Min
- 0.00
COF’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.66 is typical for the Financial - Credit Services 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.
COF
0.42
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 17.48
- Q3
- 7.42
- Median
- 1.59
- Q1
- 0.38
- Min
- -7.77
The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Financial - Credit Services industry.
Financial Strength at a Glance
Symbol | AJG | COF |
---|---|---|
Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.44 | 0.15 |
Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.44 | 0.15 |
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.04 | 0.66 |
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.01 | 0.08 |
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | -4.68 | -0.73 |
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 29.40 | 0.42 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AJG and COF. 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.
COF
1.09%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 14.68%
- Q3
- 2.97%
- Median
- 1.03%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
COF’s Dividend Yield of 1.09% is consistent with its peers in the Financial - Credit Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
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.
COF
23.80%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 169.58%
- Q3
- 38.15%
- Median
- 18.30%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
COF’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 23.80% is within the typical range for the Financial - Credit Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
Symbol | AJG | COF |
---|---|---|
Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.79% | 1.09% |
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 35.97% | 23.80% |
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.
COF
17.36
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 42.04
- Q3
- 25.88
- Median
- 12.28
- Q1
- 9.55
- Min
- 3.09
COF’s P/E Ratio of 17.36 is within the middle range for the Financial - Credit Services industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
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.
COF
0.93
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 2.76
- Q3
- 1.57
- Median
- 0.82
- Q1
- 0.51
- Min
- 0.06
COF’s Forward PEG Ratio of 0.93 is within the middle range of its peers in the Financial - Credit Services 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.
COF
2.61
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 6.24
- Q3
- 3.02
- Median
- 1.54
- Q1
- 0.75
- Min
- 0.32
The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Financial - Credit Services 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.
COF
1.33
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 3.58
- Q3
- 2.84
- Median
- 1.28
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.07
COF’s P/B Ratio of 1.33 is within the conventional range for the Financial - Credit Services industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
Valuation at a Glance
Symbol | AJG | COF |
---|---|---|
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 46.21 | 17.36 |
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.32 | 0.93 |
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 6.77 | 2.61 |
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 3.23 | 1.33 |
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 32.26 | 8.34 |
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 19.36 | 14.47 |
EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 5.46 | 2.48 |