American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the five brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $141.25.

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on AFG shares. Weiss Ratings cut shares of American Financial Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of American Financial Group in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on American Financial Group from $130.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on American Financial Group from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday.

American Financial Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AFG opened at $131.22 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $10.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.03 and a beta of 0.71. American Financial Group has a twelve month low of $114.73 and a twelve month high of $150.02. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $133.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $135.12. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The insurance provider reported $3.65 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.47. The business had revenue of $2.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.79 billion. American Financial Group had a net margin of 10.30% and a return on equity of 18.92%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.12 EPS. American Financial Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.000-11.000 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that American Financial Group will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current year.

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 16th will be paid a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. American Financial Group’s payout ratio is currently 34.96%.

Institutional Trading of American Financial Group

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AFG. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 904.8% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 211 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its position in American Financial Group by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 4,546 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $621,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its position in American Financial Group by 10.4% in the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 13,729 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,876,000 after purchasing an additional 1,290 shares during the period. North Dakota State Investment Board purchased a new stake in American Financial Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $320,000. Finally, Eubel Brady & Suttman Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in American Financial Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $530,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.37% of the company’s stock.

About American Financial Group

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.