American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) Plans Special Dividend of $1.50

American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG) announced a special dividend on Tuesday, February 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 16th will be given a dividend of 1.50 per share by the insurance provider on Wednesday, February 25th. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th.

American Financial Group has increased its dividend by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 19 years. American Financial Group has a payout ratio of 29.8% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. 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 Performance

Shares of NYSE AFG traded up $1.73 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $131.98. 114,675 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 521,284. The stock has a market cap of $11.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.86 and a beta of 0.71. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $133.75 and its 200 day simple moving average is $135.10. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. American Financial Group has a 12-month low of $114.73 and a 12-month high of $150.02.

American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The insurance provider reported $3.65 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $2.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.79 billion. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 18.05% and a net margin of 9.66%.American Financial Group’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.12 earnings per share. American Financial Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.000-11.000 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that American Financial Group will post 10.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other American Financial Group news, CFO Brian S. Hertzman sold 1,777 shares of American Financial Group stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.51, for a total transaction of $253,240.27. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 11,300 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,610,363. The trade was a 13.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 17.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AFG. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its stake in American Financial Group by 72.5% during the second quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 57,894 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $7,249,000 after buying an additional 24,334 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in American Financial Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,790,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its position in American Financial Group by 16.7% in the second quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 64,591 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $8,152,000 after purchasing an additional 9,263 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its stake in American Financial Group by 10.3% during the second quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 306,080 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $38,630,000 after purchasing an additional 28,626 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of American Financial Group by 33.6% in the second quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 94,788 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $11,963,000 after buying an additional 23,838 shares in the last quarter. 64.37% of the stock is currently 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.