American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Shares Purchased by Allianz Asset Management GmbH

Allianz Asset Management GmbH boosted its position in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) by 5.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 277,454 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 15,440 shares during the quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH owned 0.33% of American Financial Group worth $36,441,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of American Financial Group by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 8,287,861 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,134,857,000 after purchasing an additional 99,560 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in American Financial Group by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,595,346 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $218,146,000 after buying an additional 42,139 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in American Financial Group by 6.8% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 996,724 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $136,481,000 after purchasing an additional 63,193 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in American Financial Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $122,419,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its position in shares of American Financial Group by 35.8% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 802,069 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $109,827,000 after buying an additional 211,630 shares during the period. 64.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

American Financial Group Price Performance

AFG traded down $2.63 on Thursday, hitting $125.76. 397,084 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 483,799. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $124.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $126.87. The firm has a market cap of $10.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.21 and a beta of 0.71. American Financial Group, Inc. has a one year low of $114.73 and a one year high of $150.19. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The insurance provider reported $1.81 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.17 by ($0.36). American Financial Group had a return on equity of 18.34% and a net margin of 9.66%. The firm had revenue of $1.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.74 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.76 earnings per share. American Financial Group's quarterly revenue was down 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 EPS for the current year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 15th will be issued a $0.80 dividend. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.54%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 15th. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 33.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AFG has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on American Financial Group from $125.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Wall Street Zen lowered American Financial Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, June 21st.

American Financial Group 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.