Aon plc $AON Shares Bought by Pictet Asset Management Holding SA

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its position in Aon plc (NYSE:AON) by 2.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 93,966 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,917 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s holdings in AON were worth $33,159,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of AON by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 70 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new position in AON during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in AON in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AON in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of AON during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 86.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AON Stock Up 0.3%

NYSE AON opened at $322.58 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $325.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $337.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 2.03 and a current ratio of 2.03. The company has a market cap of $69.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.95, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.83. Aon plc has a one year low of $304.59 and a one year high of $381.00.

AON (NYSE:AON) last released its 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. AON had a net margin of 21.51% and a return on equity of 45.23%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.42 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Aon plc will post 18.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AON Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from AON’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.75. AON’s payout ratio is currently 17.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on AON. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $385.00 price target on shares of AON in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $408.00 price objective on shares of AON in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of AON from $402.00 to $412.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of AON from $381.00 to $372.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of AON from $406.00 to $396.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $401.81.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

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.