Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Buys 47,335 Shares of Aon plc $AON

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Aon plc (NYSE:AON) by 5.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 943,833 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 47,335 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 0.44% of AON worth $336,529,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. NewSquare Capital LLC grew its position in shares of AON by 193.1% in the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 170 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the period. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in AON during the second quarter worth about $31,000. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in AON during the second quarter worth approximately $22,026,000. Andra AP fonden acquired a new stake in shares of AON in the second quarter valued at approximately $81,000. Finally, Yacktman Asset Management LP boosted its stake in shares of AON by 10.7% during the 2nd quarter. Yacktman Asset Management LP now owns 12,915 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,608,000 after acquiring an additional 1,245 shares during the period. 86.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AON Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of AON opened at $339.06 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 2.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. Aon plc has a 12 month low of $304.59 and a 12 month high of $407.07. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $337.93 and its 200-day moving average is $348.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.65 billion, a PE ratio of 19.92, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.82.

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

AON Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at AON

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays raised their price target on AON from $379.00 to $381.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of AON in a report on Monday, December 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $395.00 price target on shares of AON in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on AON from $448.00 to $443.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Sunday, February 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $400.00 price target on AON in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $408.94.

AON 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.