Aon plc (NYSE:AON) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Aon plc (NYSE:AON) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $394.9375.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on AON shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of AON from $443.00 to $402.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on shares of AON from $416.00 to $401.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of AON from $406.00 to $396.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of AON from $394.00 to $389.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of AON in a report on Tuesday, April 21st.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AON

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new stake in shares of AON in the third quarter valued at $25,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. purchased a new stake in shares of AON in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of AON in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AON in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AON in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.14% of the company’s stock.

AON Trading Down 0.1%

AON opened at $328.40 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 1.95 and a quick ratio of 1.95. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $322.53 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $330.79. AON has a 1-year low of $304.59 and a 1-year high of $381.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $70.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.71.

AON (NYSE:AON) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, May 2nd. The financial services provider reported $6.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.37 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $5.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.97 billion. AON had a net margin of 22.54% and a return on equity of 43.50%. The business’s revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $5.67 EPS. Analysts expect that AON will post 19.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AON Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were given a dividend of $0.82 per share. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This is an increase from AON’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.75. AON’s dividend payout ratio is 18.00%.

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.