Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Sells 17,135 Shares of Aon plc $AON

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group reduced its Aon stake by 3.5%, selling 17,135 shares and leaving 470,902 shares (about 0.22% of the company) valued at roughly $166.17 million at quarter-end.
• Aon’s board approved a 10% dividend increase to $0.82 per quarter (annualized $3.28; yield ~1.0%), ex-dividend May 1 and payable May 15, while analysts remain generally bullish with an average target of $402 despite some recent price-target cuts.
• Insider activity was mixed: Director Lester B. Knight bought 4,000 shares (~$1.28M) increasing his stake to 143,000 shares, while General Counsel Darren Zeidel sold 5,040 shares (a 19.93% reduction); Aon also topped EPS estimates ($4.85 vs. $4.75) for the quarter.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. reduced its holdings in Aon plc (NYSE:AON - Free Report) by 3.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 470,902 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 17,135 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned about 0.22% of AON worth $166,172,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of AON by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 70 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new stake in shares of AON in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of AON in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new stake in shares of AON in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of AON during the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. 86.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at AON

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

AON Trading Up 0.2%

AON stock opened at $313.10 on Monday. 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 business's fifty day simple moving average is $326.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $340.46. Aon plc has a 12 month low of $304.59 and a 12 month high of $387.69. The company has a market capitalization of $67.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.83.

AON (NYSE:AON - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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 return on equity of 45.23% and a net margin of 21.51%.The business had revenue of $4.30 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.42 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Aon plc will post 17.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AON Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. This is a positive change from AON's previous quarterly dividend of $0.75. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. AON's dividend payout ratio is presently 17.51%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AON has been the topic of several research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on AON from $393.00 to $412.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. 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. Barclays dropped their price target on AON from $381.00 to $372.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of AON in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Finally, Evercore restated an "outperform" rating and set a $436.00 price target on shares of AON in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $402.00.

About AON

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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