American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Stock Has Average Target Price of $152.75

American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of "Hold" from the five research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $152.75.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on shares of American Financial Group from $153.00 to $147.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Wall Street Zen raised American Financial Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on American Financial Group from $175.00 to $166.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 12th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of American Financial Group from $140.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of American Financial Group from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th.

American Financial Group Stock Up 2.4%

Shares of NYSE AFG traded up $3.52 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $149.25. The company's stock had a trading volume of 431,628 shares, compared to its average volume of 400,159. The company has a current ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. American Financial Group has a fifty-two week low of $123.09 and a fifty-two week high of $149.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.05 and a beta of 0.59. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $142.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $137.93.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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 analysts' expectations of $1.85 billion. American Financial Group had a net margin of 11.51% and a return on equity of 20.35%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.14 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that American Financial Group will post 12.29 earnings per share for the current year.

American Financial Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 23rd. Investors of record on Thursday, October 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.97 per share. This is a boost from American Financial Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.88. This represents a $3.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 15th. American Financial Group's payout ratio is 33.92%.

Insider Transactions at American Financial Group

In related news, CFO Brian Hertzman sold 950 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.87, for a total transaction of $135,726.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 11,123 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,589,143.01. This trade represents a 7.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Mark Weiss sold 2,813 shares of American Financial Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.76, for a total transaction of $407,209.88. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 6,648 shares of the company's stock, valued at $962,364.48. This represents a 29.73% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 16.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Financial Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 4.9% in the third quarter. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 1,502 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $205,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Steph & Co. boosted its stake in American Financial Group by 11.5% in the first quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 787 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $101,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,975 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $252,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the period. Valmark Advisers Inc. grew its stake in American Financial Group by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 8,307 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,061,000 after buying an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Finally, OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp lifted its holdings in American Financial Group by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp now owns 3,061 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $391,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.37% of the company's stock.

About American Financial Group

American Financial Group, Inc is an insurance holding company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Through its Great American Insurance Group businesses, the company primarily provides property and casualty insurance products, with an emphasis on specialty commercial markets that require specialized underwriting expertise.

Its insurance offerings include coverage for commercial transportation, agriculture, workers' compensation, excess and surplus risks, environmental exposures, inland marine, and other niche industries.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.