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BROBrown & Brown, Inc.Buy Wait6.6·$61.46-0.55%
BRO · Why this verdict

Why Brown & Brown (BRO) is rated BUY WAIT

Updated

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

VerdictBUY WAIT
Overall score6.6/10
ConfidenceMEDIUM
MacroNEUTRAL
TrendMatrix Research · core thesis

Engine thesis — one sentence

Brown & Brown has delivered four consecutive earnings beats on the back of strong margins and exceptional free cash flow conversion, but the shares are trading in a confirmed downtrend below the 200-day moving average—making the quality story intact but the near-term entry timing challenged.

Falsifiable statement — pillar-level invalidators below. Engine-derived; not personalized advice.

Thesis pillars

The company has delivered four consecutive quarterly earnings beats with an average positive surprise of approximately 5.8%, indicating a sustained pattern of consistently under-promising and over-delivering on results.

Stable
Earnings
Expectation
Continued positive EPS surprises and upward analyst estimate revisions over the next 12 months.

CounterA prolonged beat streak can reflect a low consensus bar rather than genuine earnings momentum; as estimates adjust higher, the surprise buffer narrows and a single miss could reset investor sentiment sharply.

Free cash flow equals roughly 133% of net income, signaling that reported earnings materially understate the cash the business actually generates—a hallmark of high earnings quality supported by an 18% operating margin and a strong financial health scorecard.

Stable
Quality breakdown
Expectation
Free cash flow conversion remains above 100% of net income for the next four fiscal quarters.

CounterIf working capital dynamics shift or capital requirements increase, the premium cash conversion could compress toward or below net income, eroding the quality signal embedded in the current assessment.

Revenue is growing at 36% year-over-year, placing this company among the leading growers in its industry peer group and supporting continued multiple resilience as long as that trajectory holds.

Stable
Growth breakdown
Expectation
Revenue growth remains above 20% year-over-year for at least two consecutive quarters over the next 12 months.

CounterA portion of the growth may be acquisition-driven rather than organic; if deal activity slows, organic growth could revert toward industry-average levels, removing the premium growth justification.

The share price is trading below its 200-day moving average with that trend line declining at approximately 7.2% over the past 30 days, confirming a near-term technical headwind that complicates fresh entry timing regardless of the quality of the underlying business.

Stable
Momentum breakdown
Expectation
The share price reclaims and holds above the 200-day moving average for more than 20 consecutive trading days, signaling the downtrend has reversed.

CounterStrong fundamental momentum—four straight earnings beats, rising estimates, and high cash conversion—can reassert itself quickly if a catalyst triggers sector rotation back into financials, potentially leaving technical confirmation chasers behind.

Per-dimension breakdown

Value

7.4/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
P/E6.5
P/S8.0
EV/EBITDA5.1
Fwd P/E8.8
PEG10.0
Analyst target5.0
  • Forward P/E: 12.7x
  • PEG: 0.22
  • Attractively valued

Quality

7.0/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
ROE4.0
ROA3.7
Gross margin6.7
Op margin10.0
Net margin9.2
Current ratio4.1
FCF quality9.4
Moat7.1
Piotroski F8.9
  • Strong margins: 18%
  • Excellent cash conversion: 133% FCF/NI
  • Strong Piotroski F-Score: 8/9

Growth

10.0/10data confidence 67%
ComponentSub-score
Rev growth10.0
EPS growth10.0
  • Strong growth: 36% YoY

Momentum

5.8/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
RSI3.2
MACD10.0
OBV10.0
MA position6.0
Volume0.0
  • Volume accumulation (rising OBV)
  • Below 200-MA, MA slope -6.8%/30d — confirmed downtrend

Sentiment

6.1/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
Analyst rating5.0
Price target7.3
erm sentiment6.3

Insider

5.0/10data confidence 50%
ComponentSub-score
materiality5.0
holder change5.1
  • Negligible insider buying — $164,123 (0.001% of mkt cap)

Peer rank

4.5/10data confidence 80%
ComponentSub-score
value rank4.9
quality rank4.8
growth rank8.2
  • Industry growth leader

Technical

2.3/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
bollinger1.1
support resistance1.2
52w position0.9
gap6.0

Risk (lower is worse)

6.1/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
short interest6.8
days to cover6.1
volatility5.6
put call5.6
implied vol5.3
max pain risk3.0
beta9.3
debt equity7.1
  • Above max pain $45

Catalyst

6.8/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
erm6.5
earnings history10.0
earnings timing5.0
surprise avg5.4
dividend safety7.0
  • Perfect beat streak: 4Q
  • Dividend: 104.0%

How the verdict was assembled

Engine trigger

Maintain position. Not compelling to add more. | News modifier +1 (HOLD_IF_HOLDING → STRONG_BUY_WAIT).

Engine technical detail
verdict_path: L4:PATH_F_HOLD|L3:NEWS_MOD=+1|ENTRY_STICKY:PRIOR_STILL_VIABLE
Passed (6)
  • MOMENTUM:5.8>=5.5
  • INSIDER:OK
  • NEWS_EVENTS:NONE_RECENT
  • EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:32d clear
  • SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
  • MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
Failed (1)
  • ASYMMETRY:0.5<1.5@spot
Warning (2)
  • DEATH_CROSS:momentum=5.8>=5.0 recovering
  • 8K_CSUITE_CHANGE:5.02 (officer departure/appointment)
Reward-to-Risk
0.45
Upside
+4.8%
Downside
10.5%
Sizing output
STARTER

SetupRECOVERY Death cross but MACD improving, RSI 68

EdgeNO_EDGE No clear edge identified

SuitabilityMODERATE Balanced profile

Investment implication

None of the engine's positive-conviction paths (C-quality, D-momentum) triggered — the F-path HOLD reflects balanced signals. Strongest-cleared gate: MOMENTUM:5.8>=5.5. Top dim: Growth at 10.0; weakest: Technical at 2.3. No conviction either direction.

The strongest dimensions are Growth at 10.0, Value at 7.4, and Quality at 7.0; the weakest are Technical at 2.3, Peer rank at 4.5, and Insider at 5.0. The V9 engine flagged 1 failed gate with 2 warnings, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of 0.45 and an engine sizing output of STARTER.

What would invalidate the thesis

Falsifying conditions — when triggered, the corresponding pillar's thesis is invalidated.

  • P1The company has delivered four consecutive quarterly earnings beats with an average positive surprise of approximately 5.8%, indicating a sustained pattern of consistently under-promising and over-delivering on results.

    Trip ifEPS surprise falls below 0% for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P2Free cash flow equals roughly 133% of net income, signaling that reported earnings materially understate the cash the business actually generates—a hallmark of high earnings quality supported by an 18% operating margin and a strong financial health scorecard.

    Trip ifFree cash flow as a percentage of net income compresses below 80% for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P3Revenue is growing at 36% year-over-year, placing this company among the leading growers in its industry peer group and supporting continued multiple resilience as long as that trajectory holds.

    Trip ifRevenue growth falls below 15% year-over-year for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P4The share price is trading below its 200-day moving average with that trend line declining at approximately 7.2% over the past 30 days, confirming a near-term technical headwind that complicates fresh entry timing regardless of the quality of the underlying business.

    Trip ifShare price closes above the 200-day moving average and holds there for more than 20 consecutive trading days.

Engine reasoning is mechanically derived from pipeline gate outputs. See decision view.

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