American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) have received an average rating of “Hold” from the five analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $141.25.

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on AFG. Weiss Ratings downgraded American Financial Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of American Financial Group from $130.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of American Financial Group from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, 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.

American Financial Group Trading Down 0.8%

AFG opened at $131.67 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $131.43 and a 200 day moving average of $135.47. The company has a current ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.23 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 market cap of $10.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.08 and a beta of 0.69.

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

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other American Financial Group news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,663 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief financial officer owned 12,073 shares in the company, valued at $1,614,160.10. This trade represents a 12.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 17.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in American Financial Group by 421.1% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 198 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in American Financial Group in the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its stake in American Financial Group by 904.8% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 211 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Alpine Bank Wealth Management purchased a new position in American Financial Group during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in American Financial Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.37% of the company’s stock.

About American Financial Group

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.