AON (NYSE:AON) Upgraded at Mizuho

Mizuho upgraded shares of AON (NYSE:AON) from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report released on Friday morning, MarketBeat reports. They currently have $397.00 price objective on the financial services provider’s stock.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $385.00 target price on shares of AON in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $436.00 target price on shares of AON in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of AON from $448.00 to $443.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Sunday, February 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $395.00 target price on shares of AON in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of AON from $410.00 to $416.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $408.94.

AON Trading Up 1.5%

NYSE AON opened at $335.11 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $339.27 and its 200 day moving average is $349.06. The company has a quick ratio of 2.03, a current ratio of 2.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.80 billion, a PE ratio of 19.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.82. AON has a twelve month low of $304.59 and a twelve month high of $412.97.

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

AON Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.745 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 2nd. This represents a $2.98 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. AON’s payout ratio is currently 17.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling at AON

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AON

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in 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 purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new position in shares of AON during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. bought a new position in AON in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in AON in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of AON in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors own 86.14% of the company’s stock.

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.