8,279 American Financial Group, Inc. $AFG Shares Sold by ProShare Advisors LLC

ProShare Advisors LLC reduced its stake in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 195,356 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 8,279 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $26,717,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AFG. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in American Financial Group during the first quarter worth approximately $26,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in American Financial Group by 135.7% during the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 264 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of American Financial Group in the second quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of American Financial Group in the second quarter worth $46,000. Institutional investors own 64.37% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Mark A. Weiss sold 2,813 shares of American Financial Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.76, for a total value of $407,209.88. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 6,648 shares in the company, valued at approximately $962,364.48. This trade represents a 29.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 950 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.87, for a total transaction of $135,726.50. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 11,123 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,589,143.01. This represents a 7.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 16.90% of the company’s stock.

American Financial Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AFG opened at $153.61 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $143.78 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $136.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.43 and a beta of 0.55. American Financial Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $123.09 and a twelve month high of $155.11.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The insurance provider reported $2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.32 by $0.50. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 20.35% and a net margin of 11.51%. The firm had revenue of $2.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.14 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 12.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 15th were issued a $0.97 dividend. This is a boost from American Financial Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.88. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 15th. This represents a $3.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.92%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on AFG shares. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on shares of American Financial Group from $140.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of American Financial Group from $175.00 to $166.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 12th. Wall Street Zen upgraded American Financial Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, October 17th. Weiss Ratings raised American Financial Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on American Financial Group from $153.00 to $147.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Financial Group has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $152.75.

About American Financial Group

American Financial Group, Inc (NYSE:AFG) is an insurance holding company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Through its Great American Insurance Group operations, the company primarily provides property and casualty insurance, with an emphasis on specialty commercial products and markets.

Its insurance offerings serve businesses, organizations and individuals across a range of industries. Product lines have included commercial property and liability coverage, workers’ compensation, transportation, agriculture and crop insurance, marine and other specialty risks.