American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Shares Sold by Axa S.A.

Axa S.A. decreased its holdings in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) by 60.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,672 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 28,171 shares during the period. Axa S.A.'s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $2,557,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of AFG. Barclays PLC raised its position in American Financial Group by 11.0% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 63,333 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $8,528,000 after acquiring an additional 6,272 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 17.4% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 49,796 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $6,833,000 after purchasing an additional 7,365 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 31.6% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,059 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $145,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares during the period. Burney Co. boosted its holdings in American Financial Group by 13.4% during the fourth quarter. Burney Co. now owns 30,090 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $4,120,000 after buying an additional 3,548 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Argent Capital Management LLC grew its position in American Financial Group by 9.8% during the fourth quarter. Argent Capital Management LLC now owns 31,362 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $4,294,000 after buying an additional 2,787 shares during the period. 64.37% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Financial Group Stock Performance

NYSE:AFG opened at $122.60 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The company has a market capitalization of $10.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.60 and a beta of 0.72. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $126.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $131.86. American Financial Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $114.73 and a twelve month high of $150.19.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The insurance provider reported $1.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.17 by ($0.36). The company had revenue of $1.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.74 billion. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 20.30% and a net margin of 10.66%. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.76 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect 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, April 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 15th were paid a dividend of $0.80 per share. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.61%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 15th. American Financial Group's payout ratio is 30.27%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on American Financial Group from $144.00 to $126.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other American Financial Group news, Director Gregory G. Joseph acquired 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The shares were acquired at an average price 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 of the company's stock, valued at $6,954,717. This trade represents a 5.51 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 17.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.

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