ProShare Advisors LLC Lowers Position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

ProShare Advisors LLC cut its stake in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) by 1.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 254,071 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 4,270 shares during the quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC owned 0.30% of American Financial Group worth $34,790,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. raised its position in American Financial Group by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 5,798 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $794,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Horan Securities Inc. raised its position in American Financial Group by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. Horan Securities Inc. now owns 2,595 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $355,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Shoker Investment Counsel Inc. raised its position in American Financial Group by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Shoker Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 2,648 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $363,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its position in American Financial Group by 4.6% during the 4th quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,226 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $305,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. raised its position in American Financial Group by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 4,127 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $565,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 64.37% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other American Financial Group news, Director Gregory G. Joseph acquired 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $121.00 per share, with a total value of $363,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 57,477 shares in the company, valued at $6,954,717. The trade was a 5.51% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 17.40% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on American Financial Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 9th.

American Financial Group Stock Down 1.2%

AFG traded down $1.55 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $124.17. The company's stock had a trading volume of 96,955 shares, compared to its average volume of 384,054. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $114.73 and a 1 year high of $150.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.75 and a beta of 0.72. The stock's 50-day moving average is $126.25 and its 200-day moving average is $131.55. The company has a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The insurance provider reported $1.81 earnings per share (EPS) 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 company had revenue of $1.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.74 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.76 EPS. The business's revenue was down 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 EPS for the current year.

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th were paid a dividend of $0.80 per share. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.58%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, April 15th. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 33.61%.

American Financial Group Company 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.