MQS Management LLC Takes Position in Aon plc $AON

MQS Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Aon plc (NYSE:AON) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 2,416 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $861,000. AON comprises 0.5% of MQS Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH purchased a new stake in shares of AON in the second quarter valued at $32,000. Yousif Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in AON by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 29,292 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $10,450,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Vest Financial LLC grew its holdings in AON by 16.1% in the 2nd quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 662 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $236,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the period. NorthRock Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of AON by 26.1% during the 2nd quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC now owns 4,599 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,640,000 after acquiring an additional 951 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Morningstar Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of AON during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,178,000. 86.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AON Trading Up 2.5%

AON opened at $317.98 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $346.02 and its 200-day moving average is $352.70. Aon plc has a 52-week low of $309.13 and a 52-week high of $412.97. The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 2.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.83.

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

AON Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

AON has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their target price on shares of AON from $393.00 to $412.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on AON from $410.00 to $416.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on AON from $433.00 to $406.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Morgan Stanley set a $400.00 price target on AON in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on AON from $402.00 to $412.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $409.75.

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.