Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Forecast for AFG Earnings

American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for American Financial Group in a note issued to investors on Sunday, March 1st. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the insurance provider will post earnings of $2.60 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $2.61. The consensus estimate for American Financial Group’s current full-year earnings is $10.50 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for American Financial Group’s Q4 2026 earnings at $3.37 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.69 EPS and Q4 2027 earnings at $4.11 EPS.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $2.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.79 billion. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 18.64% and a net margin of 10.30%.The company’s revenue was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.12 earnings per share.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on AFG. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of American Financial Group from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on American Financial Group from $130.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of American Financial Group in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut American Financial Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $141.25.

American Financial Group Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of American Financial Group stock opened at $132.05 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.01 billion, a PE ratio of 13.11 and a beta of 0.69. American Financial Group has a 52-week low of $114.73 and a 52-week high of $150.02. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $131.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $135.52.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at American Financial Group

In other American Financial Group news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,663 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.70, for a total value of $222,343.10. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 12,073 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,614,160.10. This represents a 12.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 17.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Financial Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AFG. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $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 shares of American Financial Group during the 1st quarter worth $2,330,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 758 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in shares of American Financial Group by 421.1% during the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 198 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the period. Finally, Strs Ohio increased its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 30.0% in the 2nd quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 18,000 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,272,000 after purchasing an additional 4,152 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.37% of the company’s stock.

American Financial Group Company Profile

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.