American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Shares Purchased by Intech Investment Management LLC

Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 57.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 38,623 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,045 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $5,289,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in American Financial Group by 86.8% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 340 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in American Financial Group by 91.2% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 520 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $71,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake in American Financial Group by 301.1% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 702 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 527 shares in the last quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in American Financial Group during the third quarter worth $125,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in American Financial Group during the third quarter worth $130,000. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut American Financial Group from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $164.00 to $144.00 in a research note on Friday, February 7th.

American Financial Group Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE AFG opened at $125.45 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $10.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.87 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $118.97 and a 12-month high of $150.19. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $129.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $134.18.

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 net margin of 10.66% and a return on equity of 20.30%. As a group, equities analysts predict that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th will be issued a $2.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.27%.

Insider Activity at American Financial Group

In other American Financial Group news, Director Gregory G. Joseph bought 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $121.00 per share, with a total value of $363,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 57,477 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,954,717. This represents a 5.51 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 14.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.