Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. Has $74.56 Million Stock Position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) by 0.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 567,682 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 2,660 shares during the period. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. owned approximately 0.68% of American Financial Group worth $74,559,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of AFG. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group during the fourth quarter valued at $122,419,000. Voya Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in American Financial Group by 89.5% during the fourth quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 672,851 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $92,134,000 after acquiring an additional 317,859 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp grew its holdings in American Financial Group by 35.8% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 802,069 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $109,827,000 after acquiring an additional 211,630 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in American Financial Group by 26.2% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 997,340 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $136,566,000 after acquiring an additional 207,285 shares during the period. Finally, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new position in American Financial Group during the fourth quarter worth about $20,675,000. 64.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Financial Group Price Performance

NYSE:AFG traded up $1.11 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $123.80. 703,172 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 409,339. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $125.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $128.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.36 billion, a PE ratio of 13.00 and a beta of 0.72. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $114.73 and a 1-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 released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The insurance provider reported $1.81 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.17 by ($0.36). American Financial Group had a net margin of 9.66% and a return on equity of 18.34%. The company had revenue of $1.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.74 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.76 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 earnings per share 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. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 15th were given a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 15th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.58%. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on AFG shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on American Financial Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 9th. Wall Street Zen lowered American Financial Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, American Financial Group currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $138.75.

American Financial Group Company 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.