American Financial Group, Inc. $AFG Shares Bought by SG Americas Securities LLC

SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 59.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 18,806 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,040 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $2,570,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of AFG. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in American Financial Group by 11.1% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 75,421 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $9,905,000 after buying an additional 7,554 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. purchased a new position in American Financial Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $2,330,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its position in American Financial Group by 145.8% during the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,278 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $168,000 after buying an additional 758 shares during the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. lifted its stake in American Financial Group by 16.5% during the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 7,690 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $971,000 after acquiring an additional 1,087 shares during the period. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 452.4% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 19,871 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,508,000 after acquiring an additional 16,274 shares during the last quarter. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Financial Group Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of American Financial Group stock opened at $129.70 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $129.18 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $134.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.23. American Financial Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $114.73 and a fifty-two week high of $150.02. The company has a market cap of $10.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.88 and a beta of 0.69.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.65 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.47. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 18.64% and a net margin of 10.30%.The firm had revenue of $2.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.79 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.12 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a special dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 16th were given a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. American Financial Group’s payout ratio is 34.96%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on AFG. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on shares of American Financial Group from $134.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Weiss Ratings raised American Financial Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on American Financial Group from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $145.25.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Financial Group

In other news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,663 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.70, for a total transaction of $222,343.10. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 12,073 shares in the company, valued at $1,614,160.10. This trade represents a 12.11% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 17.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About American Financial Group

American Financial Group, Inc (NYSE: AFG) is a diversified holding company primarily engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance. Through its flagship subsidiary, Great American Insurance Company, the firm underwrites a broad range of specialty insurance products for commercial and industrial clients, including inland marine, excess and surplus lines, executive liability, and environmental liability coverage. In addition, American Financial Group offers supplemental accident and health insurance and assumes reinsurance risks from other insurers, helping to diversify its underwriting portfolio.

The company traces its roots to 1946, when it was founded by Carl Lindner, Sr.