Bridgewater Associates LP Invests in American Financial Group, Inc.

Bridgewater Associates LP, a renowned investment firm, has made a new investment in American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:AFG – Free Report) during the third quarter. This information was disclosed in the company’s latest 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Bridgewater Associates acquired 5,367 shares of American Financial Group, which are valued at roughly $722,000.

In addition to Bridgewater, several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made adjustments to their holdings in American Financial Group. For instance, Innealta Capital LLC established a new position in the company during the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. Likewise, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in American Financial Group shares valued at about $38,000 during the same period.

Blue Trust Inc. increased its ownership in American Financial Group by 44.3% in the second quarter, bringing its total to 433 shares valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares. Furthermore, nVerses Capital LLC boosted its stake by an impressive 200.0% in the second quarter and now holds 600 shares valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 400 shares. Acadian Asset Management LLC also entered a new investment in American Financial Group, with a stake worth $85,000.

It is notable that institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own around 64.37% of American Financial Group’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Opinions

Recent reports from various financial brokerages have offered insights into American Financial Group's stock outlook. On November 15th, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target for the company from $135.00 to $143.00 and assigned it a “market perform” rating. Similarly, on November 12th, Piper Sandler increased their target price from $135.00 to $150.00 while maintaining a “neutral” rating for American Financial Group.

Stock Performance Overview

As of Tuesday, American Financial Group stock opened at $143.91. The stock has a fifty-day moving average price of $137.01 and a two-hundred-day moving average of $131.49. Financial ratios for the company include a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.53, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Over the past year, the stock has seen a low of $114.73 and a high of $150.19, with the firm’s current market capitalization standing at $12.08 billion and a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 13.49.

American Financial Group recently reported its quarterly earnings on November 5th, announcing earnings per share (EPS) of $2.31. This figure fell short of the consensus estimate of $2.51 by $0.20. The company recorded a return on equity of 19.97% and a net margin of 10.84%. Total revenue for the quarter reached $2.06 billion, exceeding analysts’ expectations of $1.80 billion, and representing a 10.8% increase compared to the same period last year. Analysts forecast that American Financial Group will achieve an EPS of 10.73 for the current financial year.

Dividend Increase Announcement

Additionally, American Financial Group has announced a new dividend, which was paid on November 26th. Shareholders on record as of November 15th received a dividend of $4.00, significantly higher than the previous $1.00 dividend. The company's dividend payout ratio currently stands at 29.99%.

About American Financial Group

American Financial Group, Inc. is an insurance holding company that provides specialized property and casualty insurance products across the United States. Their offerings include property and transportation insurance, casualty insurance, and specialty financial insurance products. These products cater to various market segments, including small to mid-sized businesses and lending institutions.

investment, insurance, stocks