Aviva (LON:AV) Shares Up 1.8% - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Aviva shares jumped 1.8% to GBX 638.30 on Wednesday with about 11.22 million shares traded, up from the prior close of GBX 627.20.
• Deutsche Bank initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a GBX 760 target; the street consensus is currently a Hold with an average target of GBX 711.20 (three Buys, one Hold, one Sell).
• Significant insider selling occurred on March 20, with CEO Amanda Blanc selling 560,817 shares and Charlotte Jones selling 222,480 shares at about GBX 610, while Aviva has a market cap of ~£17.15bn and a P/E of 13.16.

Aviva plc (LON:AV - Get Free Report) shot up 1.8% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as GBX 638.30 and last traded at GBX 638.30. 11,220,517 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, The stock had previously closed at GBX 627.20.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Aviva in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. They issued a "buy" rating and a GBX 760 target price on the stock. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of GBX 711.20.

Aviva Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of £17.15 billion, a PE ratio of 13.16, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.63. The firm has a 50-day moving average of GBX 633.19 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 653.93.

Aviva (LON:AV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported GBX 26.90 EPS for the quarter. Aviva had a return on equity of 10.20% and a net margin of 1.82%. Equities analysts expect that Aviva plc will post 46.4942529 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Aviva

In related news, insider Amanda Blanc sold 560,817 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 610, for a total transaction of £3,420,983.70. Also, insider Charlotte Jones sold 222,480 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 610, for a total value of £1,357,128. Insiders have acquired 673 shares of company stock valued at $435,852 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

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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