Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Cuts Stock Holdings in Aon plc $AON

Key Points

• Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA trimmed its stake in Aon by 2.4% in Q4 to 8,545,036 shares, owning about 3.98% of Aon (≈$3.02 billion) and making Aon its 13th-largest holding.
• Aon reported a quarterly EPS beat ($4.85 vs. $4.75), revenue was up 3.7% year‑over‑year but slightly below estimates, and the company approved a 10% dividend increase to $0.82 while expanding partnerships and pushing data/AI initiatives.
• Wall Street sentiment is mostly positive (14 Buys, 4 Holds) with an average price target of $402, though some banks trimmed targets; institutional ownership is high at 86.14% and recent insider activity included both a director buy and a general counsel sale.

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA trimmed its holdings in shares of Aon plc (NYSE:AON - Free Report) by 2.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,545,036 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 212,650 shares during the period. AON comprises approximately 1.0% of Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA's portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned about 3.98% of AON worth $3,015,372,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in AON by 100.0% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 70 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the period. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new stake in AON during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in AON during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new stake in AON during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in AON during the third quarter valued at about $35,000. 86.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AON Stock Performance

AON stock opened at $313.10 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 2.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $326.15 and a 200-day moving average of $340.64. The firm has a market cap of $67.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.83. Aon plc has a 1-year low of $304.59 and a 1-year high of $387.69.

AON (NYSE:AON - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $4.85 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.75 by $0.10. AON had a net margin of 21.51% and a return on equity of 45.23%. The business had revenue of $4.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.42 earnings per share. AON's quarterly revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Aon plc will post 17.21 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Lester B. Knight acquired 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $319.24 per share, for a total transaction of $1,276,960.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 143,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $45,651,320. This represents a 2.88% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, General Counsel Darren Zeidel sold 5,040 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.79, for a total transaction of $1,641,981.60. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 20,254 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,598,550.66. This trade represents a 19.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

AON News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AON this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a 10% increase to the quarterly cash dividend, raising the payout to $0.820 per Class A share — a sign of cash return to shareholders and management confidence. Aon Announces 10% Increase to Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: KBW reaffirmed its Buy rating on Aon, supporting investor conviction from sell‑side coverage. KBW Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on Aon (AON)
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley remains constructive on Aon (Buy), adding to supportive analyst commentary. Morgan Stanley Remains a Buy on Aon (AON)
• Positive Sentiment: Aon announced strategic partnerships and new commercial deals (FIATA / AON World; Cover‑More travel insurance in Australia) that expand distribution and product reach. FIATA and AON World announce strategic partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Aon is pushing data and AI into its enterprise strategy — a strategic initiative that can improve client outcomes and long‑term margins. Aon embeds data and AI into enterprise strategy to drive client outcomes
• Neutral Sentiment: Aon set its Q1 2026 earnings release and conference call for May 1 — a near‑term catalyst that could swing the stock depending on results and guidance. Aon Announces First-Quarter 2026 Earnings Release and Conference Call Date
• Neutral Sentiment: Reinsurance‑related activity and a marine product appointment are incremental operational items; useful for niche business continuity but unlikely to move the stock materially on their own. Aon’s Reinsurance Solutions appoints Jose Maria Lopez as Marine Product Coordinator
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan trimmed its price target to $396 (from $406) — a modest downtick in analyst upside that can weigh on sentiment despite an overweight rating. AON NYSE: AON Price Target Cut to $396.00 by Analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo lowered its price target to $402 (from $443) — another analyst cut that reduces near‑term upside expectations and likely contributed to selling pressure. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: MarketWatch notes Aon has recently underperformed peers/market — relative weakness that can trigger short‑term selling by momentum and sector funds. Aon PLC stock underperforms Thursday when compared to competitors

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on AON. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $408.00 price target on shares of AON in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Mizuho upgraded shares of AON from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $397.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, February 27th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of AON in a report on Monday, December 29th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $436.00 target price on shares of AON in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of AON in a report on Monday, March 16th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $402.00.

AON Company Profile

Aon plc is a global professional services firm that provides a broad suite of risk, retirement and health solutions to corporations, institutions and individuals. The company operates primarily as an insurance broker and risk adviser, helping clients identify, quantify and transfer risk across property, casualty, cyber and other areas. Aon also offers reinsurance brokerage and capital market solutions that connect insurers, reinsurers and corporate buyers.

In addition to traditional brokerage activities, Aon delivers consulting and outsourcing services in areas such as human capital, benefits, and retirement plan design and administration.

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