American Century Companies Inc. Buys 26,416 Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. $AFG

Key Points

• American Century Companies Inc. has increased its stake in American Financial Group, Inc. by purchasing an additional 26,416 shares, bringing its total ownership to 148,257 shares, worth $19.47 million.
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.80 per share, equating to an annualized dividend yield of 2.4% and a dividend payout ratio of 35.16%.
• American Financial Group's latest financial results showed an EPS of $2.14, surpassing analyst expectations, albeit with a slight revenue decline compared to the previous year.

American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) by 21.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 148,257 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 26,416 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc. owned about 0.18% of American Financial Group worth $19,472,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of AFG. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in American Financial Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,875,000. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,339,000. Natixis acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 32.2% in the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 242,412 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $33,190,000 after buying an additional 59,002 shares during the period. Finally, Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $6,800,000. Institutional investors own 64.37% of the company's stock.

American Financial Group Price Performance

American Financial Group stock traded down $0.70 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $135.88. 364,346 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 459,477. The company has a market cap of $11.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.93 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. American Financial Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $114.73 and a twelve month high of $150.19. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $128.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $126.20.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 5th. The insurance provider reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.77 billion. American Financial Group had a net margin of 9.21% and a return on equity of 17.41%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.56 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 15th were given a dividend of $0.80 per share. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, July 15th. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 35.16%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Stephen Craig Lindner, Jr. sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.31, for a total value of $1,343,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 326,730 shares of the company's stock, valued at $43,883,106.30. This represents a 2.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 17.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on AFG shares. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of American Financial Group from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, August 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of American Financial Group from $127.00 to $124.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of American Financial Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, American Financial Group presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $136.75.

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.