Bank of Montreal Can Sells 31,995 Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Bank of Montreal Can lowered its stake in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) by 47.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,137 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 31,995 shares during the quarter. Bank of Montreal Can's holdings in American Financial Group were worth $4,811,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 86.8% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 340 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its position in American Financial Group by 91.2% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 520 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $71,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 301.1% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 702 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 527 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased 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 buying an additional 254 shares during the period. Finally, Nicolet Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in American Financial Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $212,000. Institutional investors own 64.37% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Gregory G. Joseph acquired 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $121.00 per share, with a total value of $363,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 57,477 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,954,717. This trade represents a 5.51 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 17.40% of the company's stock.

American Financial Group Trading Up 0.5 %

NYSE:AFG traded up $0.64 on Friday, reaching $128.03. 431,047 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 372,937. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.11 and a beta of 0.59. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $114.73 and a 1-year high of $150.19. 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's 50 day moving average is $125.44 and its 200-day moving average is $132.70.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.12 earnings per share 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%. Equities research analysts anticipate that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be paid a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 15th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.50%. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.27%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut 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 report on Wednesday, April 9th.

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.