Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. Takes Position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 2,875 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $394,000.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its position in American Financial Group by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 151,771 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $20,782,000 after purchasing an additional 3,911 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its position in shares of American Financial Group by 55.2% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 7,837 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,073,000 after buying an additional 2,789 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in American Financial Group by 78.3% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 333,078 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $44,832,000 after buying an additional 146,237 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in American Financial Group by 17.4% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 49,796 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $6,833,000 after buying an additional 7,365 shares during the period. Finally, Argent Capital Management LLC boosted its position in American Financial Group by 9.8% during the 4th quarter. Argent Capital Management LLC now owns 31,362 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $4,294,000 after acquiring an additional 2,787 shares in the last quarter. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered American Financial Group from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $164.00 to $144.00 in a research report on Friday, February 7th.

American Financial Group Stock Down 0.0 %

AFG traded down $0.01 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $127.87. The company's stock had a trading volume of 432,616 shares, compared to its average volume of 335,329. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $118.97 and a 1 year high of $150.19. The stock's 50-day moving average is $128.37 and its 200-day moving average is $133.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.10 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.12 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.15 by ($0.03). American Financial Group had a return on equity of 20.30% and a net margin of 10.66%. As a group, research analysts expect that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 EPS for the current year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $2.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 17th. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.27%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Financial Group

In other American Financial Group news, Director Gregory G. Joseph bought 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $121.00 per share, for a total transaction of $363,000.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 57,477 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,954,717. This trade represents a 5.51 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 14.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.