American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) Stock Gets Price Target Boost from Wells Fargo & Company

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) had its price objective upped by stock analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $166.00 to $180.00 in a report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the insurance provider’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price objective indicates a potential upside of 16.45% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on AFG. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of American Financial Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of American Financial Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 17th. Piper Sandler raised their price target on shares of American Financial Group from $140.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price target on shares of American Financial Group from $153.00 to $147.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, American Financial Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $156.25.

American Financial Group Stock Down 1.1%

American Financial Group stock traded down $1.77 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $154.57. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 577,822 shares, compared to its average volume of 372,497. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $144.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $137.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.49 and a quick ratio of 0.49. American Financial Group has a 52-week low of $123.09 and a 52-week high of $159.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.61 and a beta of 0.55.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The insurance provider reported $3.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.80 by $0.17. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 20.35% and a net margin of 11.51%. The business had revenue of $2.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.69 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that American Financial Group will post 12.29 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Brian Hertzman sold 950 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.87, for a total value of $135,726.50. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 11,123 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,589,143.01. This represents a 7.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 16.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of American Financial Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Financial Group in the first quarter worth $26,000. Heritage Family Offices LLP acquired a new position in American Financial Group during the third quarter valued at $29,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in American Financial Group during the second quarter valued at $32,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in American Financial Group by 135.7% during the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 264 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. Finally, Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in American Financial Group in the second quarter valued at $42,000. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About American Financial Group

American Financial Group, Inc (NYSE:AFG) is an insurance holding company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Through its Great American Insurance Group operations, the company primarily provides property and casualty insurance, with an emphasis on specialty commercial products and markets.

Its insurance offerings serve businesses, organizations and individuals across a range of industries. Product lines have included commercial property and liability coverage, workers’ compensation, transportation, agriculture and crop insurance, marine and other specialty risks.