American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Receives Consensus Rating of "Hold" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Consensus "Hold": Five analysts cover AFG with a consensus rating of Hold (three holds, two buys) and an average 1‑year price target of $144.
• Recent quarter beat expectations, reporting EPS of $3.65 vs. $3.18 expected and revenue of $2.06B vs. $1.79B, while analysts forecast roughly 10.98 EPS for the fiscal year.
• Valuation and payout: AFG opened at $130.16 (market cap $10.81B) with a P/E of 12.93, and pays a $0.88 quarterly dividend ($3.52 annual, ~2.7% yield).

Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Hold" by the five analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $144.00.

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on AFG shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on American Financial Group from $160.00 to $155.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on American Financial Group from $134.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded American Financial Group from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Monday, March 16th.

American Financial Group Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of American Financial Group stock opened at $130.16 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $10.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.93 and a beta of 0.69. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $129.74 and a 200-day moving average price of $132.87. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. American Financial Group has a twelve month low of $120.52 and a twelve month high of $150.02.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $2.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.79 billion. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 18.64% and a net margin of 10.30%.The business's quarterly revenue was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.12 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that American Financial Group will post 10.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 24th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 15th were given 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 currently 34.96%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,663 shares of American Financial Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.70, for a total value of $222,343.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 16.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its stake in American Financial Group by 8.0% in the third quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 278,279 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $40,551,000 after purchasing an additional 20,554 shares during the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its stake in American Financial Group by 9.7% in the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 335,673 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $48,914,000 after purchasing an additional 29,593 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in American Financial Group by 10.9% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,127,518 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $164,293,000 after purchasing an additional 110,872 shares during the last quarter. Capula Management Ltd bought a new stake in American Financial Group in the third quarter worth about $2,087,000. Finally, Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in American Financial Group in the third quarter worth about $9,432,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.37% of the company's stock.

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.

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