American Financial Group, Inc. $AFG Stock Holdings Lifted by UMB Bank n.a.

UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 15.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 776 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the quarter. UMB Bank n.a.’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $98,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 144.3% during the first quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 215 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in American Financial Group during the 1st quarter worth about $34,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in American Financial Group during the first quarter valued at about $55,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new stake in American Financial Group during the first quarter valued at about $68,000. Finally, Dagco Inc. acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the first quarter worth about $97,000. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Financial Group Trading Up 0.8%

NYSE AFG opened at $144.65 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $114.73 and a 1-year high of $150.19. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $133.12 and its 200-day simple moving average is $128.10. The company has a market capitalization of $12.06 billion, a PE ratio of 15.90 and a beta of 0.73.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 5th. The insurance provider reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.06. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 17.41% and a net margin of 9.21%.The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.77 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.56 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 15th were issued a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, July 15th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.16%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other American Financial Group news, Director Stephen Craig Lindner, Jr. sold 10,000 shares of American Financial Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.31, for a total value of $1,343,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 326,730 shares in the company, valued at $43,883,106.30. The trade was a 2.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 17.40% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AFG has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of American Financial Group from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded American Financial Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, September 13th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on American Financial Group from $127.00 to $124.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $136.75.

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.