American Financial Group, Inc. $AFG Shares Purchased by Vest Financial LLC

Vest Financial LLC lifted its position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 99.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 28,837 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,364 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $3,944,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in American Financial Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the second quarter valued at about $32,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 135.7% in the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 264 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the second quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the second quarter worth about $46,000. 64.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

American Financial Group Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of NYSE:AFG opened at $150.63 on Friday. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $123.09 and a 12-month high of $154.99. The company has a market capitalization of $12.49 billion, a PE ratio of 13.19 and a beta of 0.59. The business has a 50 day moving average of $143.05 and a two-hundred day moving average of $138.70. The company has a current ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The insurance provider reported $2.82 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.32 by $0.50. The business had revenue of $2.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.85 billion. American Financial Group had a net margin of 11.51% and a return on equity of 20.35%. The business’s revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.14 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 12.29 EPS for the current year.

American Financial Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 23rd. Investors of record on Thursday, October 15th were paid a $0.97 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 15th. This represents a $3.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. This is an increase from American Financial Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.88. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.92%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

American Financial Group Profile

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.