American Financial Group, Inc. $AFG Shares Sold by Prana Capital Management LP

Prana Capital Management LP lessened its stake in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 57.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 19,956 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 26,452 shares during the quarter. Prana Capital Management LP’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $2,908,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AFG. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 8.0% in the third quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 278,279 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $40,551,000 after buying an additional 20,554 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its holdings in American Financial Group by 9.7% during the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 335,673 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $48,914,000 after acquiring an additional 29,593 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new stake in American Financial Group in the second quarter worth about $1,790,000. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC raised its position in American Financial Group by 33.6% in the second quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 94,788 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $11,963,000 after acquiring an additional 23,838 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in American Financial Group by 10.9% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,127,518 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $164,293,000 after acquiring an additional 110,872 shares during the last quarter. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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 that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.70, for a total transaction of $222,343.10. Following 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 17.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

American Financial Group Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE AFG opened at $128.52 on Wednesday. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $114.73 and a 12 month high of $150.02. The company has a market cap of $10.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.76 and a beta of 0.69. 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 business has a fifty day simple moving average of $130.22 and a 200-day simple moving average of $135.18.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.47. The business had revenue of $2.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.79 billion. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 18.64% and a net margin of 10.30%.American Financial Group’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.12 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 EPS for the current year.

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a special dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 16th were issued a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.96%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AFG has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of American Financial Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of American Financial Group from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $141.25.

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.