American Financial Group, Inc. $AFG Shares Sold by BNP Paribas Financial Markets

BNP Paribas Financial Markets lessened its stake in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 54.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 52,215 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 62,671 shares during the quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets’ holdings in American Financial Group were worth $7,137,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in American Financial Group by 11.1% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 75,421 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $9,905,000 after purchasing an additional 7,554 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. acquired a new position in American Financial Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $2,330,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake in American Financial Group by 145.8% in the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,278 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $168,000 after purchasing an additional 758 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in American Financial Group by 144.8% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 793 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $100,000 after purchasing an additional 469 shares during the period. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC boosted its stake in American Financial Group by 62.4% in the 2nd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 2,941 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $371,000 after purchasing an additional 1,130 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.37% of the company’s stock.

American Financial Group Stock Performance

NYSE AFG opened at $131.36 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $10.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.49 and a beta of 0.64. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $131.66 and its 200 day simple moving average is $131.93. American Financial Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $121.98 and a twelve month high of $150.02. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.47 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.54 by ($0.07). American Financial Group had a return on equity of 19.50% and a net margin of 10.76%.The business had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.70 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.81 EPS. American Financial Group’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 11.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 24th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th were issued a $0.88 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 15th. This represents a $3.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.46%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on AFG. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of American Financial Group from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of American Financial Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of American Financial Group from $155.00 to $158.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of American Financial Group from $134.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $145.00.

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.