275,506 Aon plc $AON Shares Bought by Washington Trust Advisors Inc.

Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Aon plc (NYSE:AON) by 444,364.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 275,568 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 275,506 shares during the quarter. AON comprises approximately 5.4% of Washington Trust Advisors Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. owned approximately 0.13% of AON worth $76,269,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in AON. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its position in AON by 11,179.6% during the third quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 4,026,135 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,114,313,000 after acquiring an additional 3,990,441 shares in the last quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd lifted its stake in AON by 419.8% in the third quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 836,932 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $231,638,000 after acquiring an additional 675,919 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in shares of AON by 74.7% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 797,418 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $257,391,000 after acquiring an additional 340,866 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its position in shares of AON by 136.1% in the 1st quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 547,850 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $176,835,000 after acquiring an additional 315,817 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi increased its stake in shares of AON by 23.5% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 1,502,890 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $485,103,000 after purchasing an additional 285,549 shares during the last quarter. 86.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at AON

In other AON news, Director Lester B. Knight bought 20,000 shares of AON stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 2nd. The stock was bought at an average price of $327.48 per share, with a total value of $6,549,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 163,000 shares in the company, valued at $53,379,240. The trade was a 13.99% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, General Counsel Darren Zeidel sold 1,900 shares of AON stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.76, for a total transaction of $717,744.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 11,504 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,345,751.04. This trade represents a 14.17% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AON has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Mizuho dropped their target price on shares of AON from $366.00 to $324.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of AON from $375.00 to $401.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Evercore reduced their price target on AON from $423.00 to $375.00 in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on AON from $387.00 to $383.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on AON in a research note on Monday, September 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $435.00 price objective on the stock. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $367.59.

AON Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AON traded down $3.33 during trading on Friday, reaching $303.47. 1,108,593 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,711,159. Aon plc has a 12 month low of $266.33 and a 12 month high of $382.34. The firm has a market cap of $64.37 billion, a PE ratio of 16.73, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.70. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $305.15 and a 200-day moving average price of $325.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34.

AON (NYSE:AON) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $3.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.80 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.25 billion for 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%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.49 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Aon plc will post 18.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AON Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 2nd will be issued a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 2nd. AON’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.08%.

AON Profile

Aon plc is a global professional services firm that helps organizations manage risk, make informed decisions and improve workforce outcomes. Its services span commercial risk, health, retirement and investments, and data and analytics.

The company provides insurance brokerage and risk-management services, including coverage placement, claims support, risk transfer and consulting. Through its reinsurance business, Aon also serves insurers and other organizations seeking to manage catastrophe, capital and underwriting risks.

Aon’s human capital offerings include employee benefits consulting, retirement advisory services, talent and compensation consulting, and health and workforce solutions.