Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) Shares Sold by National Pension Service

National Pension Service decreased its holdings in Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO - Free Report) by 7.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 340,192 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 26,327 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service owned 0.12% of Brown & Brown worth $34,706,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in Brown & Brown in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brown & Brown during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Y.D. More Investments Ltd raised its holdings in Brown & Brown by 122.7% in the fourth quarter. Y.D. More Investments Ltd now owns 294 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Brown & Brown in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in Brown & Brown by 130.7% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 413 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.01% of the company's stock.

Brown & Brown Stock Performance

NYSE:BRO traded up $1.43 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $119.97. 2,204,305 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,602,700. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.67, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.86. Brown & Brown, Inc. has a 1-year low of $80.33 and a 1-year high of $120.39. The company has a 50-day moving average of $106.55 and a 200 day moving average of $106.07.

Brown & Brown (NYSE:BRO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, January 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.86 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.76 by $0.10. Brown & Brown had a return on equity of 17.81% and a net margin of 20.68%. Research analysts anticipate that Brown & Brown, Inc. will post 4.18 EPS for the current year.

Brown & Brown Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 12th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 5th were issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 5th. Brown & Brown's dividend payout ratio is presently 17.34%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on BRO. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Brown & Brown from $116.00 to $117.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Barclays increased their price objective on Brown & Brown from $108.00 to $119.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Brown & Brown in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $134.00 target price for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of Brown & Brown from $99.00 to $97.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Brown & Brown from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Brown & Brown currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $113.17.

Brown & Brown Company Profile

Brown & Brown, Inc is an insurance agency, wholesale brokerage, insurance program and service organization. It engages in the provision of insurance brokerage services and casualty insurance underwriting services. It operates through the following segments: Retail, National Programs, Wholesale Brokerage, and Services.