American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Announces $1.50 Special Dividend

American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) declared a special dividend on Tuesday, February 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 16th will be given a dividend of 1.50 per share by the insurance provider on Wednesday, February 25th. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th.

American Financial Group has increased its dividend payment by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 19 years. American Financial Group has a payout ratio of 29.8% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect American Financial Group to earn $11.68 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $3.52 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 30.1%.

American Financial Group Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NYSE AFG traded up $1.73 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $131.98. 114,675 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 521,284. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.55. The company has a market cap of $11.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.86 and a beta of 0.71. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $133.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $135.10. American Financial Group has a 52 week low of $114.73 and a 52 week high of $150.02.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The insurance provider reported $3.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.47. American Financial Group had a net margin of 9.66% and a return on equity of 18.05%. The firm had revenue of $2.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.79 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.12 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. American Financial Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.000-11.000 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that American Financial Group will post 10.5 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on AFG. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on American Financial Group in a report on Thursday, January 15th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $165.00 price objective for the company. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on American Financial Group from $130.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of American Financial Group in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded American Financial Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, American Financial Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $142.50.

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.