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

Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) have earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the five ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $145.00.

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on AFG. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on American Financial Group from $134.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of American Financial Group from $155.00 to $158.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of American Financial Group from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of American Financial Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, March 16th.

American Financial Group Stock Performance

American Financial Group stock opened at $135.77 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company has a market capitalization of $11.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.91 and a beta of 0.65. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $130.92 and its 200 day moving average is $132.67. American Financial Group has a twelve month low of $121.18 and a twelve month high of $150.02.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.54 by ($0.07). American Financial Group had a net margin of 10.76% and a return on equity of 19.50%. The company had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.70 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.81 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that American Financial Group will post 11.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 24th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 15th were given a dividend of $0.88 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 15th. This represents a $3.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.46%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,663 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.70, for a total value of $222,343.10. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 12,073 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,614,160.10. This represents a 12.11% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 16.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of American Financial Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of American Financial Group during the first quarter valued at $26,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its holdings in American Financial Group by 904.8% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 211 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in American Financial Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its position in American Financial Group by 87.7% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 259 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in American Financial Group by 165.0% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 273 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 64.37% of the company’s stock.

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.