Russell Investments Group Ltd. Increases Stock Holdings in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 0.8% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 59,029 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 449 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $8,075,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 57.1% in the fourth quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 38,623 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $5,289,000 after acquiring an additional 14,045 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its position in American Financial Group by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 151,771 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $20,782,000 after purchasing an additional 3,911 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd boosted its holdings in American Financial Group by 55.2% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 7,837 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,073,000 after purchasing an additional 2,789 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in American Financial Group by 78.3% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 333,078 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $44,832,000 after purchasing an additional 146,237 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 17.4% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 49,796 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $6,833,000 after buying an additional 7,365 shares in the last quarter. 64.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other American Financial Group news, Director Gregory G. Joseph purchased 3,000 shares of American Financial Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $121.00 per share, with a total value of $363,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 57,477 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,954,717. This trade represents a 5.51 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 14.50% of the company’s stock.

American Financial Group Stock Performance

Shares of AFG stock opened at $125.82 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.90 and a beta of 0.59. American Financial Group, Inc. has a one year low of $114.73 and a one year high of $150.19. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $125.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $132.94.

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

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be paid a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 15th. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.54%. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.27%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on shares of American Financial Group from $144.00 to $126.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday.

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.