Aegon (NYSE:AEG) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Aegon (NYSE:AEG) has been upgraded from a "buy" to a "strong-buy" rating by Wall Street Zen, indicating increasing confidence in the company's performance.
• The company recently authorized a new stock buyback program, suggesting management believes the shares are undervalued.
• Aegon's stock has shown significant increases in institutional investment, with notable stakes raised by firms like Arrowstreet Capital and BNP Paribas Financial Markets.

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Aegon (NYSE:AEG - Free Report) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Saturday morning.

Separately, Berenberg Bank raised shares of Aegon to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and three have issued a Buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Aegon has an average rating of "Buy".

Aegon Stock Up 1.4%

Aegon stock traded up $0.11 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $7.86. The stock had a trading volume of 4,043,280 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,715,741. The company has a quick ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 0.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.28 and a beta of 0.99. Aegon has a 12-month low of $5.42 and a 12-month high of $8.10. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $7.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $6.91.

Aegon Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 25th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.1876 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 584.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 4th. Aegon's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.58%.

Institutional Trading of Aegon

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AEG. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Aegon by 526.8% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 4,325 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 3,635 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Aegon by 27.2% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 170,827 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,126,000 after purchasing an additional 36,511 shares during the last quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Aegon by 25.8% during the 1st quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 254,433 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,677,000 after purchasing an additional 52,174 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP purchased a new stake in shares of Aegon during the 4th quarter valued at about $645,000. Finally, QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Aegon by 5.7% during the 1st quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 93,462 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $616,000 after purchasing an additional 5,049 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 4.32% of the company's stock.

Aegon Company Profile

Aegon Ltd. provides insurance, pensions, retirement, and asset management services in the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company offers life, accident, property and casualty, and health insurance; annuities, retirement plans, mutual funds, and stable value solutions; residential mortgage and digital baking services; and retail and institutional investment management solutions and retirement savings vehicles and strategies.