Sovereign s Capital Management LLC Purchases Shares of 31,491 American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Sovereign s Capital Management LLC bought a new position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm bought 31,491 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $4,312,000. American Financial Group makes up 2.7% of Sovereign s Capital Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of AFG. UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in American Financial Group by 86.8% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 340 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. Natixis purchased a new stake in shares of American Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at $47,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at $53,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in shares of American Financial Group by 91.2% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 520 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $71,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of American Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at $73,000. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

American Financial Group Stock Performance

AFG traded down $2.81 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $122.91. The stock had a trading volume of 365,751 shares, compared to its average volume of 385,978. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $126.17 and its 200 day simple moving average is $131.49. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $114.73 and a 1 year high of $150.19. The stock has a market cap of $10.28 billion, a PE ratio of 11.63 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last issued 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 20.30% and a net margin of 10.66%. The company had revenue of $1.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.74 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.76 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current year.

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th were issued a dividend of $0.80 per share. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, April 15th. American Financial Group's payout ratio is 33.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price on American Financial Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 9th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Gregory G. Joseph acquired 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $121.00 per share, for a total transaction of $363,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 57,477 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,954,717. This trade represents a 5.51% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 17.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.