Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd Buys Shares of 2,700 American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd purchased a new position in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 2,700 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $370,000.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in AFG. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its holdings in American Financial Group by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 151,771 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $20,782,000 after buying an additional 3,911 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its position in shares of American Financial Group by 55.2% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 7,837 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,073,000 after acquiring an additional 2,789 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 78.3% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 333,078 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $44,832,000 after acquiring an additional 146,237 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in American Financial Group by 17.4% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 49,796 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $6,833,000 after purchasing an additional 7,365 shares during the period. Finally, Argent Capital Management LLC grew its stake in American Financial Group by 9.8% during the 4th quarter. Argent Capital Management LLC now owns 31,362 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $4,294,000 after purchasing an additional 2,787 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.37% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut American Financial Group from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $164.00 to $144.00 in a research note on Friday, February 7th.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Gregory G. Joseph purchased 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $121.00 per share, for a total transaction of $363,000.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 57,477 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,954,717. The trade was a 5.51 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 14.50% of the company’s stock.

American Financial Group Stock Performance

Shares of AFG stock opened at $127.25 on Friday. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $118.97 and a 12 month high of $150.19. The company has a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The company has a market cap of $10.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.04 and a beta of 0.79. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $129.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $134.27.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.15 by ($0.03). American Financial Group had a net margin of 10.66% and a return on equity of 20.30%. Sell-side analysts predict that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $2.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 17th. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.27%.

American Financial Group Profile

American Financial Group, Inc, an insurance holding company, provides specialty property and casualty insurance products in the United States. The company offers property and transportation insurance products, such as physical damage and liability coverage for buses and trucks, inland and ocean marine, agricultural-related products, and other commercial property and specialty transportation coverages; specialty casualty insurance, including primarily excess and surplus, executive and professional liability, general liability, umbrella and excess liability, and specialty coverage in targeted markets, as well as customized programs for small to mid-sized businesses and workers’ compensation insurance; and specialty financial insurance products comprising risk management insurance programs for lending and leasing institutions, fidelity and surety products, and trade credit insurance.