American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Shares Purchased by National Bank of Canada FI

National Bank of Canada FI lifted its position in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG - Free Report) by 1,989.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 35,104 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 33,424 shares during the quarter. National Bank of Canada FI's holdings in American Financial Group were worth $4,807,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in American Financial Group by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 8,287,861 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,134,857,000 after buying an additional 99,560 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,693,356 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $362,526,000 after acquiring an additional 104,172 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in American Financial Group by 10.2% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,553,207 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $208,699,000 after purchasing an additional 143,820 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in American Financial Group by 26.2% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 997,340 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $136,566,000 after purchasing an additional 207,285 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in American Financial Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $122,419,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.37% of the company's stock.

American Financial Group Stock Up 0.7 %

NYSE:AFG traded up $0.88 on Friday, reaching $125.82. The stock had a trading volume of 553,917 shares, compared to its average volume of 370,593. The company has a 50-day moving average of $125.37 and a 200 day moving average of $132.94. The company has a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The stock has a market cap of $10.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.90 and a beta of 0.59. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $114.73 and a 12-month high of $150.19.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.12 EPS 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, research analysts predict 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 declared 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. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 15th. American Financial Group's payout ratio is currently 30.27%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Gregory G. Joseph purchased 3,000 shares of American Financial Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $121.00 per share, with a total value of $363,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 57,477 shares of the company's stock, 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. Insiders own 14.50% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price 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.

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.