Aviva (LON:AV) Shares Down 1.6% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Aviva shares dropped 1.6% to GBX 644.20 on mid-day trading with 5.54M shares changing hands, trading below its 50- and 200-day moving averages (≈GBX 662).
• Analysts' consensus is a Hold with an average target of GBX 711.20; recent targets range from Buy ratings at GBX 750–760 to an Underperform target of GBX 650.
• Key fundamentals: market cap £17.31B, P/E 13.28, debt-to-equity 68.87; latest quarter EPS GBX 21.70, return on equity 14.82% and net margin 3.52%.

Aviva plc (LON:AV - Get Free Report) shares traded down 1.6% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as GBX 640.40 and last traded at GBX 644.20. 5,543,388 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, The stock had previously closed at GBX 654.60.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Aviva in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. They set a "buy" rating and a GBX 760 price target for the company. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 750 target price on shares of Aviva in a research note on Friday, November 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Aviva from GBX 735 to GBX 725 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Aviva from GBX 687 to GBX 671 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued an "underperform" rating and set a GBX 650 target price on shares of Aviva in a report on Friday, October 10th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Aviva presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of GBX 711.20.

Aviva Trading Down 1.6%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 68.87, a current ratio of 2.93 and a quick ratio of 1.57. The stock has a market cap of £17.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.28, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.89. The firm's fifty day moving average price is GBX 662.76 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 662.06.

Aviva (LON:AV - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, December 15th. The company reported GBX 21.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Aviva had a return on equity of 14.82% and a net margin of 3.52%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Aviva plc will post 46.4942529 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Aviva

In related news, insider Pippa Lambert acquired 229 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 17th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 642 per share, for a total transaction of £1,470.18. Insiders bought a total of 665 shares of company stock worth $439,288 over the last ninety days. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Aviva

Aviva plc provides various insurance, retirement, investment, and savings products in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and internationally. The company offers life insurance, long-term health and accident insurance, savings, pension, and annuity products, as well as pension fund business and lifetime mortgage products. It also provides insurance cover to individuals, small and medium-sized businesses for risks associated with motor vehicles and medical expenses, as well as property and liability, such as employers' and professional indemnity liabilities.

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