Sterling Capital Management LLC Acquires 1,329 Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Sterling Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 14.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,399 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,329 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $1,424,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in AFG. UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in shares of American Financial Group by 86.8% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 340 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its holdings in American Financial Group by 91.2% in 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 during the period. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position 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 acquiring an additional 527 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in American Financial Group by 31.6% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,059 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $145,000 after acquiring an additional 254 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nicolet Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Financial Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $212,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.37% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on American Financial Group from $144.00 to $126.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 9th.

American Financial Group Stock Performance

NYSE AFG opened at $128.81 on Tuesday. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $114.73 and a 12-month high of $150.19. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $125.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $132.87. The company has a market capitalization of $10.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.19 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

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

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.80 per share. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.48%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 15th. American Financial Group’s payout ratio is presently 30.27%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Financial Group

In other American Financial Group news, Director Gregory G. Joseph acquired 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $121.00 per share, for a total transaction of $363,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 57,477 shares in the company, valued at $6,954,717. This represents a 5.51 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 14.50% of the company’s stock.

American Financial Group Profile

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.