8,222 Shares in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Acquired by Valmark Advisers Inc.

Valmark Advisers Inc. purchased a new stake in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 8,222 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,080,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Natixis acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the fourth quarter worth about $47,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the fourth quarter worth about $53,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 248 shares during the period. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the fourth quarter worth about $73,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 331 shares during the period. 64.37% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Financial Group Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of American Financial Group stock traded up $0.67 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $125.04. The stock had a trading volume of 965,775 shares, compared to its average volume of 413,594. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $124.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $128.12. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $114.73 and a 12-month high of $150.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The firm has a market cap of $10.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.13 and a beta of 0.72.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The insurance provider reported $1.81 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.17 by ($0.36). American Financial Group had a net margin of 9.66% and a return on equity of 18.34%. The firm had revenue of $1.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.74 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.76 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was down 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 15th were given 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 dividend yield of 2.56%. American Financial Group's payout ratio is currently 33.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AFG has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of American Financial Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on shares of American Financial Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have issued a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, American Financial Group presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $138.75.

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.