UBS Group AG Acquires 53,431 Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. $AFG

UBS Group AG boosted its holdings in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 10.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 581,805 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 53,431 shares during the period. UBS Group AG’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $79,521,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in AFG. Alpine Bank Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Financial Group during the third quarter worth $34,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in American Financial Group by 165.0% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 273 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in American Financial Group in the third quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in American Financial Group in the third quarter valued at about $46,000. Institutional investors own 64.37% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on 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 upgraded shares of American Financial Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of American Financial Group from $129.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of American Financial Group from $160.00 to $155.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Financial Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $143.00.

American Financial Group Stock Down 0.2%

NYSE:AFG opened at $131.37 on Monday. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $120.52 and a 1 year high of $150.02. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $129.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $132.41. The stock has a market cap of $10.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.49 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.54 by ($0.07). American Financial Group had a net margin of 10.76% and a return on equity of 19.49%. The business had revenue of $1.83 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.70 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.81 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.98 earnings per share for the current year.

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 24th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th were paid a $0.88 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 15th. This represents a $3.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. American Financial Group’s payout ratio is presently 33.46%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Financial Group

In other news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,663 shares of the company’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 value of $222,343.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 12,073 shares in the company, valued at $1,614,160.10. This represents a 12.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 16.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.