Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. Raises Position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 1.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 5,798 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 81 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $794,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in shares of American Financial Group by 86.8% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 340 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in American Financial Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $99,000. Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo LLC bought a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the 3rd quarter worth $111,000. iA Global Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of American Financial Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $125,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in shares of American Financial Group during the 3rd quarter worth $130,000. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on AFG shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on American Financial Group from $165.00 to $164.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on American Financial Group from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on American Financial Group from $135.00 to $143.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th.

American Financial Group Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:AFG opened at $135.12 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.66 and a beta of 0.83. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $138.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $134.31. The company has a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $115.64 and a 12-month high of $150.19.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 5th. The insurance provider reported $2.31 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.51 by ($0.20). American Financial Group had a return on equity of 19.97% and a net margin of 10.84%. The company had revenue of $2.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.80 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.45 earnings per share. American Financial Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.74 earnings per share for the current year.

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 24th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 14th were issued a $0.80 dividend. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.37%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, January 14th. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.99%.

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.