Invesco Ltd. Buys 63,193 Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Invesco Ltd. grew its position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) by 6.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 996,724 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 63,193 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. owned 1.19% of American Financial Group worth $136,481,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in American Financial Group by 86.8% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 340 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its stake 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 valued at $71,000 after buying an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in American Financial Group by 301.1% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 702 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $94,000 after buying an additional 527 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in American Financial Group by 31.6% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,059 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $145,000 after acquiring an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nicolet Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $212,000. 64.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at American Financial Group

In other news, Director Gregory G. Joseph purchased 3,000 shares of American Financial Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $121.00 per share, with a total value of $363,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 57,477 shares in the company, valued at $6,954,717. This trade represents a 5.51 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 17.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

American Financial Group Trading Up 0.5 %

American Financial Group stock traded up $0.64 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $128.03. 431,047 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 372,222. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.11 and a beta of 0.59. 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, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $114.73 and a fifty-two week high of $150.19. The firm's 50 day moving average is $125.42 and its 200-day moving average is $132.75.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.12 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.15 by ($0.03). American Financial Group had a net margin of 10.66% and a return on equity of 20.30%. On average, analysts predict 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 will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be issued a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 15th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.50%. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 30.27%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on shares of American Financial Group from $144.00 to $126.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th.

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.