Invesco Ltd. Purchases 63,193 Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) by 6.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 996,724 shares of the insurance provider's stock after buying an additional 63,193 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. owned approximately 1.19% of American Financial Group worth $136,481,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in AFG. UMB Bank n.a. lifted 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 valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 91.2% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 520 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $71,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 301.1% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 702 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 527 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in American Financial Group by 31.6% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Nicolet Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in American Financial Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $212,000. 64.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on American Financial Group from $144.00 to $126.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th.

American Financial Group Trading Up 0.5 %

American Financial Group stock traded up $0.64 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $128.03. 431,047 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 371,931. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $125.39 and its 200-day simple moving average is $132.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. American Financial Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $114.73 and a fifty-two week high of $150.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.11 and a beta of 0.59.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last released its 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 net margin of 10.66% and a return on equity of 20.30%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current year.

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be given a dividend of $0.80 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 15th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.50%. American Financial Group's payout ratio is 30.27%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Financial Group

In other news, Director Gregory G. Joseph acquired 3,000 shares of American Financial Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $121.00 per share, with a total value of $363,000.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 57,477 shares in the company, valued at $6,954,717. This trade represents a 5.51 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 17.40% of the company's stock.

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.