Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC Acquires 1,739 Shares of Aon plc $AON

Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Aon plc (NYSE:AON) by 10.9% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 17,646 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,739 shares during the quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in AON were worth $5,853,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new position in shares of AON during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. purchased a new position in shares of AON in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of AON during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Strive Asset Management LLC bought a new position in AON during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new position in shares of AON during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.14% of the company’s stock.

AON Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AON opened at $303.19 on Friday. 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 plc has a 1-year low of $302.44 and a 1-year high of $382.34. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $350.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $333.70. The company has a market capitalization of $64.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.71, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.66.

AON (NYSE:AON) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $3.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.80 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.28 billion. AON had a return on equity of 42.13% and a net margin of 22.27%.AON’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.49 EPS. Research analysts expect that Aon plc will post 18.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AON Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Monday, August 3rd were given a dividend of $0.82 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 3rd. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. AON’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.08%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating on shares of AON in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Barclays lifted their price target on AON from $372.00 to $382.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Citigroup upped their price objective on AON from $420.00 to $435.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Roth Capital set a $380.00 target price on shares of AON in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on AON from $419.00 to $383.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $399.12.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Lester Knight acquired 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 2nd. The stock was acquired at an average price of $327.48 per share, with a total value of $6,549,600.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 163,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $53,379,240. This trade represents a 13.99% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, General Counsel Darren Zeidel sold 1,950 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $372.05, for a total value of $725,497.50. Following the transaction, the general counsel owned 13,404 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,986,958.20. This represents a 12.70% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 4,450 shares of company stock valued at $1,659,242 in the last three months. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

AON Profile

Aon plc is a global professional services firm that helps organizations manage risk, support workforce strategies and make informed decisions. Its principal activities include commercial risk brokerage, insurance and reinsurance consulting, retirement and investment advisory services, health and benefits consulting, and data- and analytics-based business solutions.

Aon serves businesses, governments, institutional investors and individuals across a broad range of industries and geographies.