American Financial Group, Inc. (AFG) To Go Ex-Dividend on April 15th

American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be given a dividend of 0.88 per share by the insurance provider on Friday, April 24th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 15th.

American Financial Group has increased its dividend by an average of 0.1%per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 19 consecutive years. American Financial Group has a dividend payout ratio of 29.8% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect American Financial Group to earn $11.68 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $3.52 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 30.1%.

American Financial Group Stock Up 0.2%

NYSE AFG traded up $0.31 during trading on Monday, hitting $131.00. 30,342 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 633,098. American Financial Group has a 12 month low of $120.52 and a 12 month high of $150.02. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $129.42 and a 200 day simple moving average of $133.76. The company has a current ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The company has a market capitalization of $10.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.01 and a beta of 0.69.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $3.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.47. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 18.64% and a net margin of 10.30%.The company had revenue of $2.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.79 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.12 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that American Financial Group will post 10.5 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,663 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.70, for a total value of $222,343.10. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 12,073 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,614,160.10. This trade represents a 12.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 17.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Financial Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AFG. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its position in shares of American Financial Group by 904.8% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 211 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Alpine Bank Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of American Financial Group in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Financial Group in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of American Financial Group by 87.7% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 259 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in American Financial Group by 165.0% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 273 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. 64.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About American Financial Group

American Financial Group, Inc (NYSE: AFG) is a diversified holding company primarily engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance. Through its flagship subsidiary, Great American Insurance Company, the firm underwrites a broad range of specialty insurance products for commercial and industrial clients, including inland marine, excess and surplus lines, executive liability, and environmental liability coverage. In addition, American Financial Group offers supplemental accident and health insurance and assumes reinsurance risks from other insurers, helping to diversify its underwriting portfolio.

The company traces its roots to 1946, when it was founded by Carl Lindner, Sr.