Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd Takes Position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd bought a new position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 2,700 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $370,000.

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

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

American Financial Group Price Performance

NYSE:AFG traded down $0.07 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $125.15. The stock had a trading volume of 518,324 shares, compared to its average volume of 320,183. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.51 billion, a PE ratio of 11.84 and a beta of 0.79. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $118.97 and a 52 week high of $150.19. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $128.96 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $134.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.53.

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 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $2.00 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. American Financial Group's dividend payout ratio is 30.27%.

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 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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 57,477 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,954,717. This trade represents a 5.51 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 14.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About American Financial Group

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.