Hudson Bay Capital Management LP Invests $5.28 Million in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Hudson Bay Capital Management LP acquired a new position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 38,526 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $5,275,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in American Financial Group by 86.8% in the fourth 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 period. Natixis purchased a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the 4th quarter valued at $47,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 91.2% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 520 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $71,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP lifted its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 301.1% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 702 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $94,000 after acquiring an additional 527 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nicolet Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in American Financial Group during the 4th quarter worth $212,000. 64.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Financial Group Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of AFG stock traded up $2.47 on Friday, hitting $126.66. The stock had a trading volume of 358,809 shares, compared to its average volume of 384,050. The stock's 50 day moving average is $126.14 and its 200-day moving average is $131.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.98 and a beta of 0.72. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $114.73 and a 52-week high of $150.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.53.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last posted 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 net margin of 10.66% and a return on equity of 20.30%. The firm had revenue of $1.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.74 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.76 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current year.

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 15th were paid a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 15th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.53%. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.61%.

Insider Activity at American Financial Group

In related news, Director Gregory G. Joseph bought 3,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The stock was bought at an average price of $121.00 per share, with a total value of $363,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 57,477 shares of the company's stock, 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 SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 17.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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.

American Financial Group 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.