Core Insights - Suzanne van Staveren has left Edelman Financial Engines to become the CFO of IMA Financial Group, marking a significant leadership change at Edelman, which is currently seeking a new CFO [1][2]. Group 1: Leadership Changes - Van Staveren joined Edelman in April 2022 from Goldman Sachs, where she served as CFO of the Personal Financial Management Group [2]. - Edelman has seen a series of leadership changes, including the promotion of its new president to acting CEO as the firm evaluates its long-term needs [3]. - Recently, Edelman's Chief Compliance Officer Bob Lavigne also departed for Hightower, and the firm is in the process of hiring a new CCO [4]. Group 2: Company Background - Edelman Financial Engines was formed in 2018 through the merger of Ric Edelman's RIA and Financial Engines, a tech-focused retirement plan advisor [5]. - In 2021, the firm received a minority investment from Warburg Pincus, indicating positive market reception [5]. - Jay Shah, who became CEO in May 2023, previously oversaw the sale of Personal Capital and has been expanding the firm's wealth business through acquisitions [6].

Core Insights - Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) is recognized as one of the 14 Best Dividend Growth Stocks to Buy and Hold in 2026 [1] Group 1: Analyst Downgrade and Market Sentiment - BMO Capital downgraded Brown & Brown, Inc. from Outperform to Market Perform and reduced its price target from $90 to $88 [2] - The downgrade is attributed to expectations that consensus organic growth estimates will decline in 2026, which may negatively impact market sentiment towards the stock [2] - BMO's forecast is 100 basis points below consensus, indicating a close correlation between the company's valuation and organic growth [2] Group 2: Acquisition Activity - Brown & Brown announced the acquisition of the assets of the J. Kevin Campbell Agency, Inc. for an undisclosed amount [3] - The acquisition was confirmed by J. Scott Penny, the chief acquisitions officer, and Kevin Campbell, the principal of the Campbell Agency [3] - Kevin Campbell founded the agency in 1991, focusing on workers' compensation insurance solutions, and will transition to a role within Brown & Brown [4] Group 3: Company Overview - Brown & Brown operates as an insurance brokerage, providing risk management solutions across property, casualty, and employee benefits lines [5]

Core Insights - Bristol Gate Capital Partners' Q3 2025 investor letter indicates that the US Equity Strategy underperformed the S&P 500® Total Return Index this quarter, primarily due to limited exposure to the AI/TMT and Value sectors, which benefited from the Federal Reserve's rate cut [1] - Despite the underperformance, the portfolio achieved a 15% dividend growth over the past 12 months, supported by strong underlying fundamentals [1] Company-Specific Insights - Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) is highlighted as a key stock in the investor letter, with a one-month return of 2.18% and a 52-week loss of 11.79%, closing at $187.36 per share with a market capitalization of $92.111 billion as of December 30, 2025 [2] - Bristol Gate has exited its position in Marsh & McLennan due to declining global commercial insurance rates and anticipated slowdowns in consulting revenues, which are expected to hinder near-term dividend growth [3] - The company is not among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds, although the number of hedge fund portfolios holding Marsh & McLennan increased from 60 to 66 in the last quarter [4]

Core Viewpoint - Brown & Brown, Inc. is set to release its fourth-quarter earnings for 2025 on January 26, 2026, with an investor update conference call scheduled for January 27, 2026 [1] Company Overview - Brown & Brown, Inc. is a leading insurance brokerage firm established in 1939, providing comprehensive and customized insurance solutions [2] - The company operates over 700 locations globally and employs more than 23,000 professionals [2] - Brown & Brown is committed to delivering scalable and innovative strategies to support customer growth [2]

Core Viewpoint - Brown & Brown, Inc. (BRO) is an insurance brokerage firm with a market cap of $27.3 billion, expected to announce its fiscal Q4 earnings for 2025 soon [1] Financial Performance - Analysts anticipate BRO to report a profit of $0.91 per share for the upcoming quarter, reflecting a 5.8% increase from $0.86 per share in the same quarter last year [2] - For the current fiscal year ending in December, BRO is expected to report a profit of $4.27 per share, an 11.2% increase from $3.84 per share in fiscal 2024, with further growth projected to $4.71 per share in fiscal 2026, representing a 10.3% year-over-year increase [3] Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, BRO's shares have declined by 22.4%, significantly underperforming the S&P 500 Index's return of 15.7% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF's increase of 13.2% [4] - Following the release of better-than-expected Q3 results, BRO's shares fell by 6.1% in the subsequent trading session, despite total revenue rising 35.4% year-over-year to $1.6 billion, exceeding consensus estimates by 6.6% [5] Analyst Ratings - Wall Street analysts maintain a cautious stance on BRO's stock, with a "Hold" rating overall; among 20 analysts, two recommend "Strong Buy," one suggests "Moderate Buy," 16 advise "Hold," and one indicates a "Moderate Sell" rating [6] - The mean price target for BRO is set at $96.25, indicating a potential upside of 19.4% from current levels [6]

Company Overview - Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) is a leading global insurance brokerage and risk management services firm, competing with major players like Marsh & McLennan and Aon [1] - AJG offers a comprehensive range of insurance and consulting services to clients worldwide [1] Stock Performance - The current stock price of AJG is $251.64, experiencing a decrease of 1.78% or $4.55 [3] - The stock has fluctuated between a low of $249.54 and a high of $256.64 during the trading day [3] - Over the past year, AJG has seen a high of $351.23 and a low of $236.34, showcasing its volatility [3] - AJG has a market capitalization of approximately $64.62 billion and a trading volume today of 1,400,337 shares [3][4] Analyst Insights - Truist Financial has set a price target of $280 for AJG, indicating a potential upside of 11.39% from its current trading price [4] - B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. has acquired a new stake in AJG, purchasing 3,622 shares valued at approximately $1.16 million, reflecting confidence in the company's future performance [2] - Advisory Services Network LLC increased its holdings in AJG by 3.4%, while Pitcairn Co. boosted its position by 20.7% during the second quarter, indicating a trend of institutional investment adjustments [2]

Core Insights - Brown & Brown, Inc. has acquired the assets of the Campbell Agency, enhancing its capabilities in workers' compensation insurance solutions [1][2][3] - The Campbell Agency, founded in 1991, has a strong reputation in the workers' compensation sector, particularly in north and central Florida [2][3] - The acquisition is expected to leverage the expertise of Kevin Campbell and Kian Ostovar, who will continue to serve clients in Tampa and Ocala [2][3] Company Overview - Brown & Brown, Inc. is a leading insurance brokerage firm with a history dating back to 1939, operating over 700 locations and employing more than 23,000 professionals [3] - The company focuses on delivering comprehensive and customized insurance solutions, emphasizing scalable and innovative strategies for its clients [3]

Core Insights - NFP has promoted Caleb Noel to Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) [1][2] - Noel will report to Doug Hammond, CEO of NFP, and will lead a finance team that includes Mike Campbell, the newly promoted EVP, Chief Accounting Officer [2] - The appointment follows the sale of Wealthspire Advisors and related platforms to Madison Dearborn Partners, which closed on October 30, 2025 [3] Company Background - Caleb Noel has a 23-year tenure with NFP, having held various corporate finance and operational roles, most recently as Senior Vice President, Finance and Operations [3] - Prior to NFP, Noel served as Vice President of Finance for Scottish Holdings and worked as an analyst in the investment banking division of Prudential Securities [4] Leadership Comments - Doug Hammond expressed confidence in Noel's ability to enhance NFP's financial strategies and long-term value due to his extensive experience and understanding of the business [5] - Noel expressed enthusiasm for his new role, emphasizing collaboration and driving financial excellence as key objectives for the company's growth [5]

Core Insights - Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) is recognized as one of the 15 Best Stocks to Buy for the Long Term [1] - Wells Fargo analyst Elyse Greenspan has reduced the price target for AJG from $362 to $344 while maintaining an Overweight rating, citing expected pressure on margins for Q4 2025 [2] - The company has been actively acquiring firms, including the recent purchase of UK-based First Actuarial and Tompkins Insurance Agencies in New York [3] Financial Performance - AJG reported a strong third quarter with a 20% total revenue growth, marking its 19th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth [4] - The incremental revenue from acquisitions in Q3 was $450 million, with six acquisitions closed that are expected to generate over $3 billion in annualized revenue [4] Company Overview - Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. is an American insurance brokerage, risk management, and consulting services firm operating in approximately 130 countries globally [5]

Core Insights - Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.'s (MMC) arm, Marsh, released a global cybersecurity report indicating that 75% of organizations are "highly confident" in their cyber-risk management strategies, with significant regional variations [1][9] - The report highlights that 66% of respondents plan to increase cybersecurity investments in the next year, with 26% expecting budget increases of 25% or more [2][9] - The findings suggest a shift in perception, positioning cybersecurity as a core business priority rather than just an IT issue, driven by the prevalence of third-party incidents and ransomware concerns [3][9] Investment Priorities - The top investment priorities identified in the report include cybersecurity technologies and mitigation tools, incident-response planning, and hiring security talent [2] - The report indicates that 70% of organizations experienced at least one major third-party cybersecurity incident in the past year, underscoring the need for enhanced security measures [2] Strategic Positioning - For MMC, the report positions the company as a trusted advisor in the growing global demand for cybersecurity risk management, potentially leading to increased service demand and higher premiums [4] - As organizations allocate higher budgets to cyber-defense, MMC could see revenue growth in its risk advisory and insurance brokerage lines [4] Financial Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MMC's revenues indicates a 10% increase for 2025 and a 4.7% increase for 2026, with EPS estimates of $9.61 for 2025 (9.2% growth) and a further 6.9% increase for 2026 [5] - MMC has consistently beaten earnings estimates in the past four quarters, with an average surprise of 3.5% [5]