Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Boosts American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) Price Target to $140.00

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) had its price objective lifted by equities research analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $134.00 to $140.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “market perform” rating on the insurance provider’s stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ price objective would indicate a potential upside of 8.53% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on American Financial Group from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings upgraded American Financial Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $145.25.

American Financial Group Stock Up 1.7%

American Financial Group stock opened at $129.00 on Wednesday. American Financial Group has a 52 week low of $114.73 and a 52 week high of $150.02. The stock has a market cap of $10.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.81 and a beta of 0.69. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $129.45 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $134.68. 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 (NYSE:AFG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.47. American Financial Group had a net margin of 10.30% and a return on equity of 18.64%. The company had revenue of $2.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.79 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.12 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that American Financial Group will post 10.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,663 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 12,073 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,614,160.10. This trade represents a 12.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 17.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AFG. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its position in shares of American Financial Group by 72.1% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 97,590 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $13,346,000 after acquiring an additional 40,888 shares during the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 28.7% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 916 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $125,000 after acquiring an additional 204 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the 4th quarter worth $215,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 334.9% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 474 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 365 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EP Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Financial Group during the fourth quarter worth $373,000. 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.