WBI Investments LLC Invests $671,000 in American Financial Group, Inc. $AFG

WBI Investments LLC acquired a new stake in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 4,603 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $671,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its position in American Financial Group by 8.0% during the third quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 278,279 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $40,551,000 after acquiring an additional 20,554 shares during the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH raised its position in shares of American Financial Group by 9.7% in the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 335,673 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $48,914,000 after acquiring an additional 29,593 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,790,000. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 33.6% in the 2nd quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 94,788 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $11,963,000 after purchasing an additional 23,838 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of American Financial Group by 10.9% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,127,518 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $164,293,000 after purchasing an additional 110,872 shares in the last quarter. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Financial Group Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:AFG opened at $127.06 on Thursday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $130.10 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $135.13. The firm has a market cap of $10.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.62 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.23. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $114.73 and a 52-week high of $150.02.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.65 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.47. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 18.64% and a net margin of 10.30%.The firm had revenue of $2.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.79 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.12 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a special dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 16th were issued a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.96%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on American Financial Group from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings upgraded American Financial Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $141.25.

Insider Activity at American Financial Group

In other news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,663 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.70, for a total transaction of $222,343.10. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 12,073 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,614,160.10. The trade was a 12.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 17.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

American Financial Group 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.