KBC Group NV Purchases 14,327 Shares of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG)

KBC Group NV increased its position in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 191.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 21,807 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 14,327 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $2,935,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of AFG. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in American Financial Group by 13.3% during the first quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 37,701 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $5,145,000 after buying an additional 4,420 shares during the last quarter. Vident Advisory LLC raised its stake in American Financial Group by 360.7% in the 1st quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 27,155 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $3,706,000 after acquiring an additional 21,261 shares during the period. Oak Thistle LLC acquired a new stake in American Financial Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $987,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its position in American Financial Group by 302.7% during the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 51,509 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $6,337,000 after purchasing an additional 38,718 shares during the period. Finally, FCG Investment Co acquired a new position in shares of American Financial Group in the third quarter valued at $1,058,000. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Financial Group Price Performance

NYSE:AFG opened at $137.82 on Monday. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $108.39 and a 52 week high of $144.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 0.53. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $134.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $130.36. The firm has a market cap of $11.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.92 and a beta of 0.79.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, November 5th. The insurance provider reported $2.31 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.51 by ($0.20). The business had revenue of $2.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.80 billion. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 19.97% and a net margin of 10.84%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.45 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that American Financial Group, Inc. will post 10.88 earnings per share for the current year.

American Financial Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a None dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be given a dividend of $4.00 per share. This is an increase from American Financial Group’s previous None dividend of $1.00. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 15th. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.99%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of American Financial Group from $135.00 to $143.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on American Financial Group from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th.

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.