American Financial Group, Inc. $AFG Shares Purchased by Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH

Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH raised its stake in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 1.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 614,129 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,557 shares during the quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $83,939,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of AFG. Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of American Financial Group by 3.2% in the second quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,640 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $333,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 11.5% during the 3rd 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 lifted its position in American Financial Group by 12.1% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 863 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $125,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Intrust Bank NA lifted its position in American Financial Group by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Intrust Bank NA now owns 2,935 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $428,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in American Financial Group by 1.6% in the 3rd 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. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.37% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of American Financial Group from $134.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings raised shares of 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 decreased their target price on shares of 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 issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $145.25.

American Financial Group Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of NYSE AFG opened at $129.00 on Friday. 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 1 year low of $114.73 and a 1 year high of $150.02. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $129.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $134.68. The firm has a market cap of $10.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.81 and a beta of 0.69.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last issued its quarterly 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.79 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.12 earnings per share. American Financial Group’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at American Financial Group

In other news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,663 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 12,073 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,614,160.10. This trade represents a 12.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 17.40% of the company’s stock.

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.