Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Boosts Stock Holdings in American Financial Group, Inc. $AFG

Key Points

• Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in American Financial Group by 44% in the fourth quarter, buying 7,923 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 25,910 shares worth about $3.54 million.
• Several other institutional investors also added to AFG positions, and the stock is now 64.37% owned by institutions and 16.90% owned by insiders. Notably, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,663 shares in a recent insider transaction.
• American Financial Group recently reported Q1 EPS of $2.47, missing estimates, though revenue came in above expectations at $1.85 billion. Analysts remain cautious overall with an average Hold rating, even as the company paid a quarterly dividend of $0.88 per share.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its stake in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) by 44.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 25,910 shares of the insurance provider's stock after buying an additional 7,923 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' holdings in American Financial Group were worth $3,541,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 12.9% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,963,942 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $431,906,000 after acquiring an additional 337,573 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 10.9% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,127,518 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $164,293,000 after acquiring an additional 110,872 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp grew its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 33.2% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,026,783 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $149,623,000 after acquiring an additional 255,693 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp grew its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 20,131.5% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 637,090 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $87,077,000 after acquiring an additional 633,941 shares during the period. Finally, Woodline Partners LP grew its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 58.4% in the 3rd quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 621,623 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $90,583,000 after acquiring an additional 229,140 shares during the period. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at American Financial Group

In related news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,663 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.70, for a total transaction of $222,343.10. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 12,073 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,614,160.10. This trade represents a 12.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 16.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded American Financial Group from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on American Financial Group from $134.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on American Financial Group from $155.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price target on American Financial Group from $129.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Financial Group currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $143.75.

More American Financial Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting American Financial Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its estimates for American Financial Group’s FY2026, FY2027 and FY2028 earnings, suggesting expectations for steady profit growth remain intact. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted premium growth, strong renewal pricing, and disciplined underwriting as core drivers that could support margins and earnings for AFG. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: One Zacks update trimmed near-term Q2 2026 earnings estimates slightly, while another raised Q3 2026 and later-period forecasts, creating a mixed short-term but constructive longer-term picture for the company. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts also noted risks from rising costs and regulation, which could pressure profitability if trends worsen. Article Title

American Financial Group Stock Down 0.4%

AFG stock opened at $136.73 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.48 and a quick ratio of 0.48. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $120.60 and a 12 month high of $150.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.36 billion, a PE ratio of 13.00 and a beta of 0.65. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $130.60 and its 200-day simple moving average is $132.62.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.54 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $1.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.70 billion. American Financial Group had a net margin of 10.76% and a return on equity of 19.50%. American Financial Group's quarterly revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.81 EPS. Equities analysts expect that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 11.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 24th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th were given a $0.88 dividend. This represents a $3.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 15th. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 33.46%.

About American Financial Group

American Financial Group, Inc NYSE: AFG is a diversified holding company primarily engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance. Through its flagship subsidiary, Great American Insurance Company, the firm underwrites a broad range of specialty insurance products for commercial and industrial clients, including inland marine, excess and surplus lines, executive liability, and environmental liability coverage. In addition, American Financial Group offers supplemental accident and health insurance and assumes reinsurance risks from other insurers, helping to diversify its underwriting portfolio.

The company traces its roots to 1946, when it was founded by Carl Lindner, Sr.

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