Help

BI’s Article search uses Boolean search capabilities. If you are not familiar with these principles, here are some quick tips.

To search specifically for more than one word, put the search term in quotation marks. For example, “workers compensation”. This will limit your search to that combination of words.

To search for a combination of terms, use quotations and the & symbol. For example, “hurricane” & “loss”.

Login Register Subscribe

Gallagher reports higher revenue, surge in acquisitions

Reprints
Gallagher reports higher revenue, surge in acquisitions

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. reported $1.41 billion in revenue for the first quarter of 2017, an 8.6% increase over the same period last year, as the brokerage reported modest organic revenue growth and a higher-than-usual number of acquisitions in the quarter.

In its core brokerage unit, Gallagher reported revenue of $878.5 million, a 6.4% increase over the same period in 2016. Organic growth in commissions and fees was 2.7% for the quarter, down from 4.8% in the first quarter of 2016, as rates in most lines in the United States and United Kingdom remained flat, J. Patrick Gallagher Jr., chairman, president and CEO, said in a conference call with analysts. In Australia and New Zealand, where Gallagher has made several acquisitions over the past few years, property/casualty rates “appear to be turning the corner into positive rate territory,” he said.

Gallagher’s risk management segment, which includes third-party administrator business Gallagher Bassett Services Inc., reported revenue of $182.6 million for the first quarter, up 1.8% over the 2016 period.

The firm reported net earnings of $67.8 million for the quarter, a 17.1% increase over the same period last year.

Gallagher made 12 acquisitions in the first quarter, representing $62.5 million in annualized revenue, compared with eight acquisitions representing $30 million in revenue in the same period last year.

The first quarter is usually one of the quietest for acquisitions for Gallagher, Mr. Gallagher said. Historically, the firm has made dozens of acquisitions each year.

The market for brokerage acquisitions remains extremely competitive with private equity buyers driving up prices, he said.

“This is a frothy market. There’s a lot of private equity money that wants to be in the brokerage space, and every single deal that is going to have a private equity competitor is going to be a fiercely fought deal,” Mr. Gallagher said.

 

 

Read Next

  • Gallagher reports revenue increase for fourth quarter

    Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. reported higher fourth-quarter 2016 revenue through a combination of organic growth and growth by acquisition, although the brokerage did see a slight slowdown in deals in the second half of the 2016 as sellers anticipated lower taxes this year.