American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Position Lessened by Aviso Financial Inc.

Aviso Financial Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 10.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 9,492 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 1,097 shares during the period. Aviso Financial Inc.’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $1,300,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in American Financial Group by 86.8% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 340 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its stake in American Financial Group by 91.2% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 520 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $71,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in American Financial Group by 301.1% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 702 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $94,000 after acquiring an additional 527 shares in the last quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in American Financial Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $125,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in American Financial Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $130,000. Institutional investors own 64.37% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at American Financial Group

In other news, Director Gregory G. Joseph bought 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $121.00 per share, for a total transaction of $363,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 57,477 shares in the company, valued at $6,954,717. This represents a 5.51 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 14.50% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AFG has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on American Financial Group from $135.00 to $143.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut American Financial Group from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $164.00 to $144.00 in a research note on Friday, February 7th.

American Financial Group Stock Performance

Shares of AFG opened at $127.25 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $129.35 and its 200-day moving average is $134.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.04 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.53 and a quick ratio of 0.53. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $118.97 and a 12-month high of $150.19.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.15 by ($0.03). American Financial Group had a return on equity of 20.30% and a net margin of 10.66%. Equities research analysts anticipate that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be paid a $2.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.27%.

About American Financial Group

American Financial Group, Inc, an insurance holding company, provides specialty property and casualty insurance products in the United States. The company offers property and transportation insurance products, such as physical damage and liability coverage for buses and trucks, inland and ocean marine, agricultural-related products, and other commercial property and specialty transportation coverages; specialty casualty insurance, including primarily excess and surplus, executive and professional liability, general liability, umbrella and excess liability, and specialty coverage in targeted markets, as well as customized programs for small to mid-sized businesses and workers’ compensation insurance; and specialty financial insurance products comprising risk management insurance programs for lending and leasing institutions, fidelity and surety products, and trade credit insurance.