Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC Has $5.90 Million Stock Holdings in American Financial Group, Inc. $AFG

Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 54.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 40,466 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 48,805 shares during the quarter. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $5,897,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Alpine Bank Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group during the third quarter worth $30,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in American Financial Group in the third quarter valued at $34,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in American Financial Group by 165.0% during 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 period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of American Financial Group in the third quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of American Financial Group during the third quarter worth about $46,000. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,663 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.70, for a total transaction of $222,343.10. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 12,073 shares in the company, valued at $1,614,160.10. The trade was a 12.11% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 17.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

American Financial Group Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE AFG opened at $128.22 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.73 and a beta of 0.69. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $130.30 and a 200 day simple moving average of $135.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.23 and a quick ratio of 0.23. American Financial Group, Inc. has a one year low of $114.73 and a one year high of $150.02.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $2.06 billion for 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 was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.12 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

AFG has been the topic of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings cut American Financial Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of American Financial Group from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $141.25.

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.