Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. Invests $394,000 in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 2,875 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $394,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in American Financial Group by 86.8% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 340 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 158 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in American Financial Group by 301.1% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 702 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $94,000 after acquiring an additional 527 shares during the period. iA Global Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in American Financial Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $125,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in American Financial Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $130,000. 64.37% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Gregory G. Joseph purchased 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $121.00 per share, with a total value of $363,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 57,477 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,954,717. This represents a 5.51 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 14.50% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

American Financial Group Stock Performance

American Financial Group stock opened at $125.03 on Monday. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $118.97 and a 1-year high of $150.19. The firm has a market cap of $10.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.83 and a beta of 0.79. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average of $128.72 and a 200-day moving average of $134.01.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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%. Sell-side analysts expect that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.5 EPS for the current year.

American Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be issued a $2.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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.