Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Takes Position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 150,992 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $20,675,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned 0.18% of American Financial Group as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 57.1% during the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 38,623 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $5,289,000 after buying an additional 14,045 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its stake in American Financial Group by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 151,771 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $20,782,000 after purchasing an additional 3,911 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its position in American Financial Group by 55.2% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 7,837 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,073,000 after acquiring an additional 2,789 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in American Financial Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $5,127,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in American Financial Group by 26.2% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 997,340 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $136,566,000 after acquiring an additional 207,285 shares during the period. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Financial Group Price Performance

NYSE:AFG traded up $0.95 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $123.94. 886,517 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 392,813. 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, Inc. has a 12-month low of $114.73 and a 12-month high of $150.19. The company has a market cap of $10.37 billion, a PE ratio of 11.73 and a beta of 0.72. The business's 50-day moving average price is $125.63 and its 200 day moving average price is $130.87.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 20.30% and a net margin of 10.66%. The business had revenue of $1.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.74 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.76 earnings per share. The company's revenue was down 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 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 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th were paid a dividend of $0.80 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 15th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.58%. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 33.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on shares of American Financial Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 9th.

About American Financial Group

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.