Acadian Asset Management LLC Invests $85,000 in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 692 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $85,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Crestline Management LP purchased a new stake in American Financial Group during the 4th quarter worth $2,972,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in American Financial Group by 13.3% during the 1st quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 37,701 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $5,145,000 after purchasing an additional 4,420 shares during the period. Hengehold Capital Management LLC boosted its position in American Financial Group by 40.0% during the 1st quarter. Hengehold Capital Management LLC now owns 25,532 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $3,485,000 after purchasing an additional 7,295 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC boosted its position in American Financial Group by 360.7% during the 1st quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 27,155 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $3,706,000 after purchasing an additional 21,261 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in American Financial Group during the 4th quarter worth $97,304,000. 64.37% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Financial Group Stock Performance

NYSE:AFG opened at $135.62 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.46 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $130.23 and a two-hundred day moving average of $129.18. The stock has a market cap of $11.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.98 and a beta of 0.78. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $105.22 and a 1-year high of $137.95.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The insurance provider reported $2.56 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.45 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $1.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.72 billion. American Financial Group had a net margin of 11.06% and a return on equity of 21.16%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.38 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 15th were given a $0.71 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 15th. This represents a $2.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.09%. American Financial Group’s payout ratio is currently 27.18%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Financial Group

In related news, Director Amy Y. Murray purchased 1,200 shares of American Financial Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 28th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $125.17 per share, with a total value of $150,204.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $150,204. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 14.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Citigroup cut shares of American Financial Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $144.00 to $137.00 in a research report on Friday, June 28th.

American Financial Group 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.