Aegon (NYSE:AEG) Downgraded to “Strong Sell” Rating by Zacks Research

Zacks Research cut shares of Aegon (NYSE:AEG) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research note published on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on Aegon in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $10.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley downgraded Aegon from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of Aegon in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Aegon from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $10.00.

Aegon Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AEG opened at $9.18 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $8.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.00. The company has a market cap of $18.41 billion, a P/E ratio of -57.34 and a beta of 0.85. Aegon has a 12-month low of $6.75 and a 12-month high of $9.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 0.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aegon

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Aegon by 8.3% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 11,741,711 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $85,233,000 after acquiring an additional 901,979 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in Aegon by 306.1% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 6,169,541 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $44,667,000 after purchasing an additional 4,650,272 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG boosted its position in Aegon by 24.1% during the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,546,698 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $19,635,000 after purchasing an additional 494,065 shares during the last quarter. Arrowpoint Investment Partners Singapore Pte. Ltd. grew its stake in Aegon by 31.1% in the fourth quarter. Arrowpoint Investment Partners Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 2,527,483 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $19,487,000 after purchasing an additional 599,104 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ABC Arbitrage SA grew its stake in Aegon by 0.5% in the first quarter. ABC Arbitrage SA now owns 2,107,085 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $15,297,000 after purchasing an additional 9,775 shares in the last quarter. 4.32% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Aegon

Aegon N.V. is a multinational financial services company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, specializing in life insurance, pensions and asset management. Established in 1983 through the merger of AGO and Ennia, Aegon has built a reputation for offering retirement solutions, savings products and protection plans aimed at helping customers secure their financial futures. The company operates under well-known brands, including Transamerica in the United States, and serves both individual and corporate clients.

Throughout its history, Aegon has pursued strategic acquisitions and partnerships to strengthen its market position and broaden its service offerings.