UBS Group AG Has $79.52 Million Position in American Financial Group, Inc. $AFG

Key Points

• UBS Group AG raised its stake in American Financial Group by 10.1% in Q4 to 581,805 shares (about $79.52 million), representing roughly 0.70% of the company.
• Several other large institutions also boosted positions (notably M&T Bank, Victory Capital and Northern Trust), leaving institutional ownership around 64.37%.
• Analysts show a consensus "Hold" rating with an average target of $143; the latest quarter saw EPS miss ($2.47 vs. $2.54) but revenue beat, and the stock yields 2.7% after a $0.88 quarterly dividend.

UBS Group AG raised its stake in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) by 10.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 581,805 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 53,431 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned approximately 0.70% of American Financial Group worth $79,521,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. 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 purchasing an additional 633,941 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in 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 valued at $431,906,000 after purchasing an additional 337,573 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in American Financial Group by 33.2% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,026,783 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $149,623,000 after buying an additional 255,693 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP boosted its position in American Financial Group by 58.4% in the third quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 621,623 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $90,583,000 after buying an additional 229,140 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Man Group plc grew its stake in American Financial Group by 316.8% during the third quarter. Man Group plc now owns 198,528 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $28,930,000 after buying an additional 150,902 shares during the last quarter. 64.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on AFG shares. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of American Financial Group from $129.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings raised American Financial Group from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on American Financial Group from $134.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on American Financial Group from $160.00 to $155.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $143.00.

American Financial Group Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:AFG opened at $131.37 on Monday. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $120.52 and a 12 month high of $150.02. The company's 50-day moving average price is $129.81 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $132.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The firm has a market cap of $10.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.49 and a beta of 0.65.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.54 by ($0.07). American Financial Group had a return on equity of 19.49% and a net margin of 10.76%.The company had revenue of $1.83 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.70 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.81 earnings per share. The company's revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 24th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th were issued a dividend of $0.88 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 15th. This represents a $3.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 33.46%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Financial Group

In other news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,663 shares of the business's 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 completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 12,073 shares in the company, valued at $1,614,160.10. The trade was a 12.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 16.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

American Financial Group Company Profile

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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