AON (NYSE:AON) Director Purchases $6,549,600.00 in Stock

Key Points

• Director Lester Knight purchased 20,000 AON shares at an average price of $327.48, investing $6.55 million and increasing his direct ownership by 13.99% to 163,000 shares.
• AON shares traded at $327.57, near the lower end of their 52-week range, while the company reported quarterly EPS of $3.81, slightly exceeding estimates, and revenue of $4.25 billion, up 2.2% year over year.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $399.12; AON also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.82, equivalent to a 1.0% annualized yield.

Aon plc (NYSE:AON - Get Free Report) Director Lester Knight acquired 20,000 shares of AON stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $327.48 per share, for a total transaction of $6,549,600.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 163,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $53,379,240. The trade was a 13.99% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

AON Stock Performance

AON stock traded down $3.31 during trading on Thursday, hitting $327.57. 1,465,066 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 964,366. The company has a quick ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34. Aon plc has a 52 week low of $304.59 and a 52 week high of $382.34. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $353.69 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $334.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $69.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.66.

AON (NYSE:AON - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $3.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.80 by $0.01. AON had a net margin of 22.27% and a return on equity of 42.13%. The company had revenue of $4.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.28 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.49 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Aon plc will post 18.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AON Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 3rd were issued a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 3rd. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. AON's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.08%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on AON shares. Barclays increased their price target on AON from $372.00 to $382.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on AON from $412.00 to $417.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on AON from $380.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of AON in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AON from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 29th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AON has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $399.12.

Key Stories Impacting AON

Here are the key news stories impacting AON this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Aon said its earnings are “comfortably” above its cost of capital and expects the reinsurance market to become more flexible in 2027 as available capital approaches $800 billion. Greater market capacity could support transaction activity and Aon’s advisory and brokerage businesses. Aon: More flexible reinsurance marketplace ahead as earnings comfortably exceed cost of capital
• Positive Sentiment: Aon launched a defined-benefit “run-on” service for smaller pension schemes, expanding its retirement consulting opportunity and potentially creating a new source of recurring revenue. Aon launches DB run-on service aimed at smaller schemes
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary said brokerage organic growth remains resilient as insurance pricing softens, with underlying business activity becoming a more important growth driver. 3 Insurance Brokerage Stocks Find New Growth Drivers as Rates Fade
• Positive Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reportedly expects AON shares to rise, providing a favorable counterpoint to more cautious analyst views. AON Stock Price Expected to Rise, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Analyst Says
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Greg Case is scheduled to speak at the KBW Insurance Conference on September 10. Investors may look for updates on growth, reinsurance conditions and capital allocation. Aon to Speak at the KBW Insurance Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Aon Securities estimated the reinsurance sidecar market will reach a record $23 billion in 2026, highlighting a sizable market opportunity but also increased competition for capital. Reinsurance sidecar market estimated at record $23bn in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Aon introduced underwriting analytics focused on digital infrastructure concentration risks, which could strengthen risk-management demand while underscoring potential exposure in the sector. Aon flags digital infrastructure concentration risks with Underwriting Analytics launch
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho issued a pessimistic forecast for AON’s stock, adding near-term valuation pressure and offsetting the more constructive KBW view. Mizuho Issues Pessimistic Forecast for AON Stock Price

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AON

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. City National Bank of Florida MSD boosted its position in AON by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. City National Bank of Florida MSD now owns 867 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $306,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its holdings in shares of AON by 5.3% during the second quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 650 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $216,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the period. CENTRAL TRUST Co raised its stake in shares of AON by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 1,341 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $473,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in AON by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 9,584 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,382,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. Finally, Aspen Grove Capital LLC grew its position in AON by 4.8% in the 1st quarter. Aspen Grove Capital LLC now owns 737 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $238,000 after buying an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. 86.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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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