American Financial Group’s (AFG) “Hold (C+)” Rating Reiterated at Weiss Ratings

Weiss Ratings reiterated their hold (c+) rating on shares of American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) in a research report released on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of American Financial Group from $127.00 to $124.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of American Financial Group from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of American Financial Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 13th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $136.75.

American Financial Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AFG opened at $137.26 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $11.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.08 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.47 and a quick ratio of 0.47. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $137.76 and a 200 day simple moving average of $129.71. American Financial Group has a one year low of $114.73 and a one year high of $150.19.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The insurance provider reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.77 billion. American Financial Group had a net margin of 9.21% and a return on equity of 17.41%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.56 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that American Financial Group will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 24th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 15th will be issued a $0.88 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 15th. This is a positive change from American Financial Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. This represents a $3.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is 35.16%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other American Financial Group news, Director Stephen Craig Lindner, Jr. sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.31, for a total value of $1,343,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 326,730 shares in the company, valued at approximately $43,883,106.30. This trade represents a 2.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 17.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Financial Group

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in 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 period. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new stake in American Financial Group in the second quarter worth $27,000. Private Trust Co. NA grew its holdings in American Financial Group by 144.3% in the first quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 215 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in American Financial Group in the first quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in American Financial Group in the first quarter worth $55,000. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Financial Group Company 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.