American Financial Group, Inc. $AFG Shares Bought by Viking Fund Management LLC

Viking Fund Management LLC raised its holdings in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) by 146.3% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 101,000 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 60,000 shares during the period. American Financial Group makes up 1.6% of Viking Fund Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Viking Fund Management LLC’s holdings in American Financial Group were worth $13,805,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of AFG. Alpine Bank Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of American Financial Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in American Financial Group in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake 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 during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in American Financial Group during the third quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Financial Group during the third quarter valued at about $46,000. 64.37% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AFG has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of American Financial Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of American Financial Group from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $141.25.

American Financial Group Stock Performance

Shares of American Financial Group stock opened at $127.72 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.68 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.23 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The business has a 50-day moving average of $129.61 and a 200 day moving average of $134.78. American Financial Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $114.73 and a 12 month high of $150.02.

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

American Financial Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a special dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Investors of record on Monday, February 16th were paid a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. American Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.96%.

Insider Transactions at American Financial Group

In other American Financial Group news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,663 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.70, for a total value of $222,343.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 12,073 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,614,160.10. This trade represents a 12.11% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 17.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

American Financial Group Company Profile

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.