Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Acquires 14,265 Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. $AFG

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP has increased its position in American Financial Group by 1.5%, owning 983,398 shares valued at approximately $129.15 million as of the latest SEC filing.
• The company has recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.80 per share, representing a 2.4% yield and a payout ratio of 35.16%.
• Analysts have mixed opinions on the stock, with target price adjustments ranging from $124.00 to $136.75, indicating a consensus rating of "Hold" among investment analysts.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) by 1.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 983,398 shares of the insurance provider's stock after buying an additional 14,265 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 1.18% of American Financial Group worth $129,147,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Private Trust Co. NA grew its holdings in American Financial Group by 144.3% during the 1st quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 215 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in American Financial Group during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Natixis purchased a new stake in American Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in American Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $53,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in American Financial Group during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $55,000. 64.37% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on AFG shares. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective 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 lowered their target price on American Financial Group from $127.00 to $124.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded American Financial Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $136.75.

Insider Transactions at American Financial Group

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

American Financial Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AFG traded up $2.07 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $136.37. 646,456 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 447,951. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.37 billion, a PE ratio of 14.99 and a beta of 0.74. The company's 50 day moving average is $127.73 and its 200 day moving average is $126.07. American Financial Group, Inc. has a one year low of $114.73 and a one year high of $150.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.47 and a quick ratio of 0.47.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 company had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.77 billion. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 17.41% and a net margin of 9.21%.American Financial Group's revenue was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.56 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 15th were given a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, July 15th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.16%.

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.