American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Short Interest Up 22.0% in March

American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,610,000 shares, a growth of 22.0% from the March 15th total of 1,320,000 shares. Approximately 2.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 562,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.9 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

American Financial Group Trading Down 2.4 %

American Financial Group stock traded down $3.04 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $126.10. 90,257 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 372,184. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $125.77 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $132.49. American Financial Group has a 12 month low of $114.73 and a 12 month high of $150.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.92 and a beta of 0.59.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.15 by ($0.03). American Financial Group had a return on equity of 20.30% and a net margin of 10.66%. Analysts forecast that American Financial Group will post 10.5 EPS for the current year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.80 per share. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 15th. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.27%.

Insider Activity at American Financial Group

In other news, Director Gregory G. Joseph acquired 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 57,477 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,954,717. This represents a 5.51 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 17.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Financial Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 57.1% in the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 38,623 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $5,289,000 after acquiring an additional 14,045 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. grew its holdings in American Financial Group by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 151,771 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $20,782,000 after purchasing an additional 3,911 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its holdings in American Financial Group by 55.2% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 7,837 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,073,000 after purchasing an additional 2,789 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of American Financial Group by 78.3% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 333,078 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $44,832,000 after purchasing an additional 146,237 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in American Financial Group by 17.4% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 49,796 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $6,833,000 after acquiring an additional 7,365 shares during the last quarter. 64.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.