American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Shares Sold by Man Group plc

Man Group plc lowered its position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) by 24.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 53,985 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 17,191 shares during the quarter. Man Group plc owned 0.06% of American Financial Group worth $7,392,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 86.8% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 340 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. Natixis acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group during the fourth quarter worth about $47,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group during the fourth quarter worth about $53,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 91.2% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 520 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $71,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group during the fourth quarter worth about $73,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.37% of the company's stock.

American Financial Group Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE:AFG opened at $127.12 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.53. American Financial Group, Inc. has a one year low of $114.73 and a one year high of $150.19. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $126.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $131.59. The stock has a market cap of $10.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.03 and a beta of 0.72.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The insurance provider reported $1.81 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.17 by ($0.36). American Financial Group had a return on equity of 20.30% and a net margin of 10.66%. The business had revenue of $1.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.74 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.76 EPS. The company's revenue was down 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 15th were paid a $0.80 dividend. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.52%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, April 15th. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on American Financial Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 9th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Gregory G. Joseph acquired 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $121.00 per share, with a total value of $363,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 57,477 shares in the company, valued at $6,954,717. This represents a 5.51% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 17.40% of the company's stock.

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.

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