LSV Asset Management Lowers Stake in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

LSV Asset Management decreased its position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 14.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 640,624 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 107,812 shares during the quarter. LSV Asset Management’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $87,721,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Intech Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 57.1% in the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 38,623 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $5,289,000 after buying an additional 14,045 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of American Financial Group by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 151,771 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $20,782,000 after purchasing an additional 3,911 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its position in shares of American Financial Group by 55.2% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 7,837 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,073,000 after purchasing an additional 2,789 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 78.3% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 333,078 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $44,832,000 after purchasing an additional 146,237 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in American Financial Group by 17.4% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 49,796 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $6,833,000 after buying an additional 7,365 shares during the period. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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 dated Thursday, February 20th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $121.00 per share, for a total transaction of $363,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 57,477 shares in the company, valued at $6,954,717. The trade was a 5.51 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 14.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

American Financial Group Price Performance

AFG stock opened at $124.55 on Friday. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $114.73 and a 1 year high of $150.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.78 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.53 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The business’s 50-day moving average is $125.58 and its two-hundred day moving average is $133.01.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.12 earnings per share 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%. Analysts anticipate that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be issued a $0.80 dividend. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.57%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 15th. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.27%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

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.