American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Receives $141.25 Average PT from Brokerages

Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the five ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $141.25.

AFG has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on 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. Weiss Ratings cut American Financial Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th.

American Financial Group Price Performance

AFG stock opened at $128.15 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $10.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.73 and a beta of 0.69. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $130.59 and its 200 day moving average is $135.33. American Financial Group has a 52 week low of $114.73 and a 52 week high of $150.02. 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 (NYSE:AFG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.47. American Financial Group had a net margin of 10.30% and a return on equity of 18.64%. The business had revenue of $2.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.79 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.12 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that American Financial Group will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a special dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 16th were given a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. American Financial Group’s payout ratio is presently 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 value of $222,343.10. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 12,073 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,614,160.10. This trade represents a 12.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 17.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Financial Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in shares of American Financial Group by 11.1% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 75,421 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $9,905,000 after acquiring an additional 7,554 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of American Financial Group during the first quarter worth about $2,330,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 145.8% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,278 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $168,000 after purchasing an additional 758 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 421.1% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 198 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can increased its holdings in American Financial Group by 146.7% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 85,786 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $10,827,000 after purchasing an additional 51,008 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.37% 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.