American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Shares Sold by ProShare Advisors LLC

ProShare Advisors LLC cut its stake in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 1.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 254,071 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 4,270 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.30% of American Financial Group worth $34,790,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its position in American Financial Group by 57.1% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its position in 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 valued at $20,782,000 after buying an additional 3,911 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its position in 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 valued at $1,073,000 after buying an additional 2,789 shares in the last quarter. Argent Capital Management LLC lifted its position in American Financial Group by 9.8% during the fourth quarter. Argent Capital Management LLC now owns 31,362 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $4,294,000 after buying an additional 2,787 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in American Financial Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,127,000. 64.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Financial Group Trading Up 1.7%

AFG opened at $124.13 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.74 and a beta of 0.72. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $126.14 and its 200-day moving average is $131.58. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $114.73 and a 52-week high of $150.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The insurance provider reported $1.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.17 by ($0.36). The firm had revenue of $1.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.74 billion. American Financial Group had a net margin of 10.66% and a return on equity of 20.30%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.76 EPS. Analysts expect that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 15th were paid a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 15th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.58%. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on shares of American Financial Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 9th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Gregory G. Joseph purchased 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $121.00 per share, for a total transaction of $363,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 57,477 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,954,717. This represents a 5.51% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 17.40% of the company’s stock.

American Financial Group 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.