American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the five ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $145.00.

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on AFG shares. Weiss Ratings raised American Financial Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on American Financial Group from $155.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on American Financial Group from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on American Financial Group from $134.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th.

American Financial Group Price Performance

AFG opened at $134.00 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $132.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $131.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.48 and a quick ratio of 0.48. The firm has a market cap of $11.13 billion, a PE ratio of 12.74 and a beta of 0.64. American Financial Group has a 1 year low of $121.98 and a 1 year high of $150.02.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.54 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.70 billion. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 19.50% and a net margin of 10.76%.American Financial Group’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.81 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that American Financial Group will post 11.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 24th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 15th were issued a $0.88 dividend. This represents a $3.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 15th. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.46%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Financial Group

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 10.9% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,127,518 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $164,293,000 after purchasing an additional 110,872 shares during the period. Capula Management Ltd bought a new stake in shares of American Financial Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,087,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 32.4% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 407,772 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $59,421,000 after purchasing an additional 99,898 shares during the period. UBS Group AG grew its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 10.1% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 581,805 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $79,521,000 after purchasing an additional 53,431 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 12.9% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,963,942 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $431,906,000 after purchasing an additional 337,573 shares during the period. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

American Financial Group Company Profile

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.