Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Acquires 8,212 Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) by 17.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 55,269 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 8,212 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned about 0.07% of American Financial Group worth $7,461,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in shares of American Financial Group by 86.8% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 340 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 158 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in American Financial Group by 91.2% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 520 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $71,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in American Financial Group by 301.1% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 702 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $94,000 after acquiring an additional 527 shares during the period. iA Global Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of American Financial Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $125,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 31.6% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,059 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $145,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares during the period. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Gregory G. Joseph bought 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $121.00 per share, for a total transaction of $363,000.00. Following the acquisition, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 14.50% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

American Financial Group Trading Down 6.5 %

NYSE AFG traded down $8.50 during trading on Friday, reaching $121.78. 510,400 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 363,236. American Financial Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $118.97 and a fifty-two week high of $150.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The firm has a market cap of $10.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.52 and a beta of 0.79. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $127.54 and its 200 day moving average price is $133.62.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.12 earnings per share 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%. Analysts predict that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 EPS for the current year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be given a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 15th. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.63%. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 30.27%.

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.