Aon plc (NYSE:AON) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Aon plc (NYSE:AON) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and fourteen have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $406.6875.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on AON shares. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $408.00 price target on shares of AON in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of AON from $379.00 to $381.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of AON from $433.00 to $406.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $395.00 target price on AON in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Mizuho upgraded AON from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $397.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 27th.

Insider Transactions at AON

In related news, General Counsel Darren Zeidel sold 5,040 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $325.79, for a total value of $1,641,981.60. Following the sale, the general counsel directly owned 20,254 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,598,550.66. This trade represents a 19.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Lester B. Knight acquired 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $319.24 per share, with a total value of $1,276,960.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 143,000 shares in the company, valued at $45,651,320. The trade was a 2.88% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of AON

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of AON by 100.0% in the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 70 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the period. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new position in AON during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. purchased a new position in AON during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of AON during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in AON in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.14% of the company’s stock.

AON Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of NYSE:AON opened at $321.29 on Friday. AON has a 1 year low of $304.59 and a 1 year high of $402.49. The company has a market capitalization of $68.84 billion, a PE ratio of 18.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.82. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $330.26 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $343.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 2.03 and a quick ratio of 2.03.

AON (NYSE:AON) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $4.85 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.75 by $0.10. AON had a net margin of 21.51% and a return on equity of 45.23%. The business had revenue of $4.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.42 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that AON will post 17.21 earnings per share for the current year.

AON Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 2nd were issued a $0.745 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 2nd. This represents a $2.98 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. AON’s dividend payout ratio is presently 17.51%.

About AON

Aon plc is a global professional services firm that provides a broad suite of risk, retirement and health solutions to corporations, institutions and individuals. The company operates primarily as an insurance broker and risk adviser, helping clients identify, quantify and transfer risk across property, casualty, cyber and other areas. Aon also offers reinsurance brokerage and capital market solutions that connect insurers, reinsurers and corporate buyers.

In addition to traditional brokerage activities, Aon delivers consulting and outsourcing services in areas such as human capital, benefits, and retirement plan design and administration.