American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the five research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $142.50.

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on American Financial Group in a report on Thursday, January 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $165.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of American Financial Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of American Financial Group in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of American Financial Group from $130.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 6th.

American Financial Group Price Performance

Shares of AFG stock opened at $131.32 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. American Financial Group has a 12-month low of $114.73 and a 12-month high of $150.02. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $135.54 and a 200-day moving average of $134.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.79 and a beta of 0.70.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The insurance provider reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.35 by $0.34. The business had revenue of $2.33 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.02 billion. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 18.05% and a net margin of 9.66%.The firm’s revenue was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.31 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that American Financial Group will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current year.

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.88 per share. This represents a $3.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 15th. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.97%.

Insider Activity at American Financial Group

In related news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,777 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.51, for a total transaction of $253,240.27. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 11,300 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,610,363. This represents a 13.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 17.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Financial Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Oak Thistle LLC bought a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,072,000. Leo Wealth LLC boosted its position in American Financial Group by 7.6% during the fourth quarter. Leo Wealth LLC now owns 2,066 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $282,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC grew its stake in American Financial Group by 8.3% in the fourth quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC now owns 1,662 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $227,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. JB Capital LLC increased its position in shares of American Financial Group by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. JB Capital LLC now owns 4,268 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $583,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aberdeen Group plc increased its position in shares of American Financial Group by 17.1% during the 4th quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 12,618 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,725,000 after purchasing an additional 1,845 shares during the last quarter. 64.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

American Financial Group Company Profile

American Financial Group, Inc (NYSE: AFG) is a diversified holding company primarily engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance. Through its flagship subsidiary, Great American Insurance Company, the firm underwrites a broad range of specialty insurance products for commercial and industrial clients, including inland marine, excess and surplus lines, executive liability, and environmental liability coverage. In addition, American Financial Group offers supplemental accident and health insurance and assumes reinsurance risks from other insurers, helping to diversify its underwriting portfolio.

The company traces its roots to 1946, when it was founded by Carl Lindner, Sr.