American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) Stock: Insider Brian Hertzman Sells 301 Shares

American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) CFO Brian Hertzman sold 301 shares of American Financial Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.29, for a total value of $46,742.29. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 1,553 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $241,165.37. The trade was a 16.24% 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 link.

American Financial Group Stock Up 1.9%

NYSE:AFG opened at $160.85 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.52 and a quick ratio of 0.52. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $123.09 and a 1-year high of $161.10. The company has a 50-day moving average of $145.52 and a 200 day moving average of $137.29. The firm has a market cap of $13.31 billion, a PE ratio of 13.12 and a beta of 0.55.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The insurance provider reported $3.97 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.80 by $0.17. American Financial Group had a net margin of 11.96% and a return on equity of 22.56%. The business had revenue of $2.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.69 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 12.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 25th. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a dividend of $3.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is 31.65%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Oppenheimer set a $150.00 price target on shares of American Financial Group in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of American Financial Group in a research report on Wednesday, November 4th. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective 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. Wall Street Zen cut shares of American Financial Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on shares of American Financial Group from $147.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $159.00.

Institutional Trading of American Financial Group

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in American Financial Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,079,329,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 19.0% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,506,510 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $192,395,000 after buying an additional 240,509 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of American Financial Group during the second quarter worth $102,590,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 337.1% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 431,144 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $55,061,000 after buying an additional 332,517 shares during the period. Finally, Bahl & Gaynor LLC lifted its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 1.8% during the third quarter. Bahl & Gaynor LLC now owns 399,671 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $54,659,000 after buying an additional 6,954 shares during the period. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Financial Group Company Profile

American Financial Group, Inc. is an insurance holding company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Through Great American Insurance Group, it provides property and casualty insurance, with a focus on specialty commercial markets and coverage tailored to specific industries and customer needs. Its products include insurance for businesses, farms and agricultural operations, and individuals, offered through a network of independent agents and brokers. AFG’s insurance operations serve customers primarily in the United States, with some products and services available internationally.