Brokerages Set Aon plc (NYSE:AON) PT at $410.75

Aon plc (NYSE:AON) has received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $412.6250.

AON has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on AON from $406.00 to $419.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of AON from $400.00 to $412.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of AON from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of AON from $420.00 to $435.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of AON from $380.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday.

AON Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE AON opened at $352.01 on Tuesday. AON has a 1 year low of $304.59 and a 1 year high of $382.34. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $349.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $333.33. The company has a market cap of $74.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.41, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.54.

AON (NYSE:AON) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $3.81 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.80 by $0.01. AON had a return on equity of 42.13% and a net margin of 22.27%.The firm had revenue of $4.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.28 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.49 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that AON will post 19.05 earnings per share for the current year.

AON Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Monday, August 3rd were paid a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 3rd. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. AON’s dividend payout ratio is 18.08%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AON news, General Counsel Darren Zeidel sold 1,950 shares of AON stock in a transaction on Friday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $372.05, for a total transaction of $725,497.50. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel directly owned 13,404 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,986,958.20. The trade was a 12.70% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In the last quarter, insiders sold 4,450 shares of company stock worth $1,659,242. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new position in AON during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. purchased a new stake in shares of AON during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AON in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Strive Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of AON in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new position in shares of AON during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. 86.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AON Company Profile

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.