American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts have a consensus “Hold” rating on American Financial Group, with three holds and two buys; the average 12-month price target is $156, compared with the stock’s recent price of $141.45.
• AFG reported quarterly earnings of $2.82 per share, beating the $2.32 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 5.5% year over year to $2.03 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.88, equivalent to an annualized $3.52 payout and a 2.5% yield; insiders sold 6,010 shares worth approximately $855,269 over the last quarter.

American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of "Hold" from the five analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $156.00.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on AFG shares. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on American Financial Group from $140.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Wall Street Zen lowered American Financial Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, September 12th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on American Financial Group from $148.00 to $153.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of American Financial Group from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on American Financial Group from $158.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other American Financial Group news, SVP Michelle Gillis sold 2,247 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.00, for a total value of $312,333.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 13,135 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,825,765. This represents a 14.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Brian Hertzman sold 950 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.87, for a total transaction of $135,726.50. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 11,123 shares in the company, valued at $1,589,143.01. This represents a 7.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 6,010 shares of company stock worth $855,269. Insiders own 16.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AFG. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Financial Group in the first quarter worth $26,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in American Financial Group in the second quarter worth about $32,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 87.7% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 259 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 121 shares during the period. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of American Financial Group during the 2nd quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in American Financial Group during the second quarter valued at $46,000. 64.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Financial Group Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:AFG opened at $141.45 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $11.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.36 and a beta of 0.60. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $143.06 and a 200-day moving average price of $136.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. American Financial Group has a 52-week low of $123.09 and a 52-week high of $150.02.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The insurance provider reported $2.82 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.32 by $0.50. The firm had revenue of $2.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.85 billion. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 20.35% and a net margin of 11.51%.American Financial Group's revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.14 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that American Financial Group will post 12.17 EPS for the current year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 24th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 15th were issued a $0.88 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 15th. This represents a $3.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.77%.

About American Financial Group

American Financial Group, Inc NYSE: AFG is an insurance holding company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Through its Great American Insurance Group subsidiaries, the company primarily underwrites specialty property and casualty insurance and sells annuity products.

Its property and casualty operations serve businesses, organizations and individuals through specialized products that include commercial transportation, agricultural and crop insurance, workers' compensation, casualty coverage, financial institution insurance, surety and fidelity bonds, marine insurance, travel insurance and public-sector coverage.

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