Short Interest in Aegon NV (NYSE:AEG) Increases By 41.6%

Key Points

• Short interest in Aegon rose 41.6% to 2,237,858 shares as of March 13, representing about 0.1% of the company's stock and a days-to-cover ratio of 0.4 days.
• Aegon declared a $0.2469 dividend payable on July 6 to holders of record on June 15 (ex-dividend June 15); the article reports a dividend yield of 671.0% and a payout ratio of -237.50%.
• Institutional activity included a 1,073.4% increase by JPMorgan Chase, which now owns 1,623,496 shares (~$11.75M), while overall institutional ownership stands at 4.32%.

Aegon NV (NYSE:AEG - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 2,237,858 shares, an increase of 41.6% from the February 26th total of 1,580,614 shares. Approximately 0.1% of the company's stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 6,150,917 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.4 days.

Aegon Stock Up 1.1%

NYSE AEG traded up $0.08 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $6.94. 4,690,033 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,773,679. The company has a current ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 0.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. Aegon has a 1-year low of $5.42 and a 1-year high of $8.15. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $7.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $7.59. The company has a market cap of $13.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -43.34, a P/E/G ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 0.78.

Aegon Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 6th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $0.2469 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 671.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Aegon's payout ratio is -237.50%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in shares of Aegon by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 77,076 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $507,000 after purchasing an additional 1,551 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Aegon by 16.3% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 75,569 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $498,000 after purchasing an additional 10,591 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Aegon by 20.0% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 142,277 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $936,000 after purchasing an additional 23,670 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Aegon in the second quarter worth about $165,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Aegon by 1,073.4% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,623,496 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $11,754,000 after purchasing an additional 1,485,135 shares in the last quarter. 4.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on AEG. UBS Group lowered shares of Aegon from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Aegon in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Aegon from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, February 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Aegon in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. They set a "hold" rating on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Aegon from a "buy (a-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy".

Aegon Company Profile

Aegon N.V. is a multinational financial services company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, specializing in life insurance, pensions and asset management. Established in 1983 through the merger of AGO and Ennia, Aegon has built a reputation for offering retirement solutions, savings products and protection plans aimed at helping customers secure their financial futures. The company operates under well-known brands, including Transamerica in the United States, and serves both individual and corporate clients.

Throughout its history, Aegon has pursued strategic acquisitions and partnerships to strengthen its market position and broaden its service offerings.

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