AJG vs. HIG: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AJG and HIG, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
AJG’s market capitalization of 81.47 billion USD is substantially larger than HIG’s 35.51 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
With betas of 0.75 for AJG and 0.71 for HIG, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | AJG | HIG |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Insurance - Brokers | Insurance - Diversified |
| CEO | J. Patrick Gallagher Jr. | Christopher Jerome Swift CPA |
| Price | 318.1 USD | 124.99 USD |
| Market Cap | 81.47 billion USD | 35.51 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.75 | 0.71 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | June 20, 1984 | December 15, 1995 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AJG and HIG 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.
HIG
18.11%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 19.59%
- Q3
- 17.66%
- Median
- 12.77%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- -4.43%
In the upper quartile for the Insurance - Diversified industry, HIG’s Return on Equity of 18.11% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
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.
HIG
23.05%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 32.46%
- Q3
- 16.21%
- Median
- 9.46%
- Q1
- 2.09%
- Min
- -10.51%
Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Insurance - 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.
HIG
11.16%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 26.00%
- Q3
- 19.46%
- Median
- 9.37%
- Q1
- 5.55%
- Min
- -7.05%
HIG’s Net Profit Margin of 11.16% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Insurance - 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.
HIG
14.29%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 44.52%
- Q3
- 25.84%
- Median
- 14.16%
- Q1
- 6.78%
- Min
- -2.60%
HIG’s Operating Profit Margin of 14.29% is around the midpoint for the Insurance - Diversified industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AJG | HIG |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 9.41% | 18.11% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 2.10% | 3.63% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 5.85% | 23.05% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.96% | 11.16% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 23.06% | 14.29% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 55.08% | 75.72% |
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.
HIG
--
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 4.41
- Q3
- 4.03
- Median
- 2.86
- Q1
- 2.82
- Min
- 2.82
Current Ratio data for HIG is currently unavailable.
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.
HIG
0.26
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 0.54
- Q3
- 0.39
- Median
- 0.27
- Q1
- 0.21
- Min
- 0.13
HIG’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.26 is typical for the Insurance - 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.
HIG
19.23
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 19.23
- Q3
- 17.46
- Median
- 7.97
- Q1
- 4.61
- Min
- -1.63
HIG’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 19.23 is in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Diversified industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AJG | HIG |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.44 | -- |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.44 | -- |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.04 | 0.26 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | -4.68 | 1.09 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 29.40 | 19.23 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AJG and HIG. 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.
HIG
1.62%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 8.16%
- Q3
- 5.54%
- Median
- 2.46%
- Q1
- 1.59%
- Min
- 0.00%
HIG’s Dividend Yield of 1.62% is consistent with its peers in the Insurance - Diversified 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.
HIG
19.61%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 101.86%
- Q3
- 53.36%
- Median
- 21.69%
- Q1
- 5.33%
- Min
- 0.00%
HIG’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 19.61% is within the typical range for the Insurance - Diversified industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AJG | HIG |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.79% | 1.62% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 35.97% | 19.61% |
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.
HIG
11.99
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 18.52
- Q3
- 16.13
- Median
- 13.33
- Q1
- 9.73
- Min
- 2.62
HIG’s P/E Ratio of 11.99 is within the middle range for the Insurance - Diversified 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.
HIG
0.84
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 2.60
- Q3
- 2.07
- Median
- 1.20
- Q1
- 0.77
- Min
- 0.04
HIG’s Forward PEG Ratio of 0.84 is within the middle range of its peers in the Insurance - 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.
HIG
1.33
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 3.08
- Q3
- 2.00
- Median
- 1.15
- Q1
- 1.07
- Min
- 0.38
HIG’s P/S Ratio of 1.33 aligns with the market consensus for the Insurance - Diversified industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
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.
HIG
2.13
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 2.12
- Q3
- 1.80
- Median
- 1.59
- Q1
- 1.29
- Min
- 0.74
At 2.13, HIG’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Insurance - Diversified industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AJG | HIG |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 46.21 | 11.99 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.32 | 0.84 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 6.77 | 1.33 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 3.23 | 2.13 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 32.26 | 6.27 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 19.36 | 10.23 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 5.46 | 1.48 |