Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. Purchases 57,719 Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) by 5,237.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 58,821 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 57,719 shares during the quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. owned 0.07% of American Financial Group worth $7,649,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in AFG. Natixis bought a new stake in shares of American Financial Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $47,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new position in American Financial Group in the fourth quarter worth about $53,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its holdings in American Financial Group by 91.2% in 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. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. bought a new position in American Financial Group in the fourth quarter worth about $73,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in American Financial Group by 97.4% in the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $88,000 after purchasing an additional 331 shares in the last quarter. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on AFG shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on American Financial Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Wall Street Zen cut American Financial Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, June 21st.

American Financial Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AFG traded up $1.16 during trading on Thursday, reaching $126.40. 376,541 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 414,688. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.67. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $114.73 and a 12 month high of $150.19. The company has a 50 day moving average of $124.67 and a 200-day moving average of $127.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.28 and a beta of 0.71.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last announced its 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 18.34% and a net margin of 9.66%. The firm had revenue of $1.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.74 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.76 EPS. American Financial Group's revenue for the quarter was down 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 EPS for the current year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.80 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 15th. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.53%. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.61%.

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.