American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price on American Financial Group from $153.00 to $147.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on American Financial Group from $140.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings upgraded American Financial Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on American Financial Group from $166.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, American Financial Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $156.25.

American Financial Group Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of American Financial Group stock opened at $154.57 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $144.87 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $137.00. American Financial Group has a 1 year low of $123.09 and a 1 year high of $159.61. The company has a market capitalization of $12.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.61 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.52 and a quick ratio of 0.52.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 3rd. The insurance provider reported $3.97 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.80 by $0.17. American Financial Group had a net margin of 11.96% and a return on equity of 22.56%. The firm had revenue of $2.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.40 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.69 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that American Financial Group will post 12.29 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Brian Hertzman sold 950 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.87, for a total transaction of $135,726.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 11,123 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,589,143.01. This represents a 7.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 16.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Financial Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 433.2% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 316,974 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $40,481,000 after purchasing an additional 257,522 shares in the last quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC lifted its holdings in American Financial Group by 21.8% during the 3rd quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 123,000 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $16,821,000 after buying an additional 22,000 shares during the period. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the second quarter worth approximately $1,121,000. Bank of Nova Scotia bought a new position in American Financial Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $6,760,000. Finally, Dockside LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,195,000. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About American Financial Group

American Financial Group, Inc is an insurance holding company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Through Great American Insurance Group, it provides property and casualty insurance, with a focus on specialty commercial markets and coverage tailored to specific industries and customer needs.

Its products include insurance for businesses, farms and agricultural operations, and individuals, offered through a network of independent agents and brokers. AFG’s insurance operations serve customers primarily in the United States, with some products and services available internationally.

The company traces its roots to 1959, while its Great American Insurance Company subsidiary was founded in 1872.