Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Cuts Stock Holdings in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lessened its stake in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) by 0.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 969,133 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 2,820 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 1.15% of American Financial Group worth $132,700,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in American Financial Group by 86.8% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 340 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its holdings in American Financial Group by 91.2% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 520 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $71,000 after buying an additional 248 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake in American Financial Group by 301.1% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 702 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 527 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in American Financial Group by 31.6% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,059 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $145,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares during the period. Finally, Nicolet Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in American Financial Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $212,000. 64.37% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Financial Group Stock Performance

AFG stock traded down $0.66 on Thursday, hitting $126.01. The company's stock had a trading volume of 171,372 shares, compared to its average volume of 372,490. 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 stock has a market cap of $10.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.95 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 firm has a 50 day moving average of $126.23 and a two-hundred day moving average of $132.24.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 analysts predict that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 15th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.54%. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.27%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on American Financial Group from $144.00 to $126.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other American Financial Group news, Director Gregory G. Joseph bought 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was bought at an average price of $121.00 per share, for a total transaction of $363,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 57,477 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,954,717. The trade was a 5.51 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 17.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.