Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Trims Position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. decreased its holdings in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 37.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,106 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 1,861 shares during the quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $425,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in American Financial Group by 86.8% in 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 last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its position in shares of American Financial Group by 91.2% in the fourth 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 last quarter. Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in American Financial Group by 301.1% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 702 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 527 shares during the period. iA Global Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in American Financial Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $125,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in American Financial Group during the third quarter worth approximately $130,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.37% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Gregory G. Joseph acquired 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was bought 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 directly owns 57,477 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,954,717. The trade was a 5.51 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 14.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

American Financial Group Price Performance

American Financial Group stock opened at $127.87 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $128.17 and a 200-day moving average of $133.84. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $118.97 and a 52-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 capitalization of $10.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.10 and a beta of 0.79.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) 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%. As a group, analysts predict that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 EPS for the current year.

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th will be issued a dividend of $2.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 17th. American Financial Group’s payout ratio is currently 30.27%.

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.