Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Buys 3,556 Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its stake in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 28.1% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 16,193 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,556 shares during the quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $2,217,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Horan Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Horan Securities Inc. now owns 2,595 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $355,000 after buying an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,660 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $501,000 after buying an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. Callan Family Office LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the 4th quarter worth $264,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the 4th quarter worth $2,875,000. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System grew its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 20,714 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,836,000 after buying an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at American Financial Group

In related news, Director Gregory G. Joseph acquired 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was bought at an average price of $121.00 per share, for a total transaction of $363,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 57,477 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,954,717. This represents a 5.51 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 14.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut shares of American Financial Group from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $164.00 to $144.00 in a research note on Friday, February 7th.

American Financial Group Price Performance

AFG stock opened at $127.25 on Monday. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $118.97 and a 12 month high of $150.19. The company has a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $129.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $134.28. The stock has a market cap of $10.69 billion, a PE ratio of 12.04 and a beta of 0.79.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.15 by ($0.03). American Financial Group had a return on equity of 20.30% and a net margin of 10.66%. Equities research analysts anticipate 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 special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th will be issued a dividend of $2.00 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. American Financial Group’s payout ratio is 30.27%.

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.