M Holdings Securities Inc. Makes New $2.03 Million Investment in American Financial Group, Inc. $AFG

M Holdings Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 13,915 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,028,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in AFG. Advisors Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,640 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $333,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in American Financial Group by 11.5% during the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 884 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $129,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its position in American Financial Group by 12.1% during the third quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 863 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $125,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. Intrust Bank NA increased its holdings in American Financial Group by 3.6% during the third quarter. Intrust Bank NA now owns 2,935 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $428,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in American Financial Group by 1.6% in the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 7,405 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,087,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.37% of the company’s stock.

American Financial Group Stock Down 0.1%

AFG stock opened at $128.12 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $130.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $135.29. The stock has a market cap of $10.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.72 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. American Financial Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $114.73 and a twelve month high of $150.02.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.47. American Financial Group had a net margin of 10.30% and a return on equity of 18.64%. The company had revenue of $2.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.79 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.12 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 EPS for the current year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed 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 of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is 34.96%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AFG has been the topic of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings cut shares of American Financial Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $141.25.

Insider Activity at American Financial Group

In other news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,663 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.70, for a total transaction of $222,343.10. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 17.40% of the stock is 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.