American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) Given New $125.00 Price Target at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) had its price target cut by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $126.00 to $125.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a market perform rating on the insurance provider’s stock.

American Financial Group Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of American Financial Group stock opened at $122.15 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $10.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.56 and a beta of 0.72. American Financial Group has a 52-week low of $114.73 and a 52-week high of $150.19. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $126.43 and its 200-day simple moving average is $131.79. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The insurance provider reported $1.81 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.17 by ($0.36). American Financial Group had a net margin of 10.66% and a return on equity of 20.30%. The business had revenue of $1.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.74 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.76 EPS. American Financial Group’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that American Financial Group will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 15th were issued a dividend of $0.80 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 15th. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.62%. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 33.61%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Gregory G. Joseph purchased 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $121.00 per share, for a total transaction of $363,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 57,477 shares in the company, valued at $6,954,717. This represents a 5.51% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 17.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Financial Group

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its holdings in American Financial Group by 144.3% in the first quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 215 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in American Financial Group by 86.8% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 340 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. Natixis purchased a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the 4th quarter worth about $47,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $53,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the 1st quarter valued at about $55,000. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About American Financial Group

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.