American Financial Group reports Q1 EPS $1.81, consensus $2.07

Reports Q1 revenue $1.856B, consensus $1.74B. Reports Q1 AFG‘s book value per share was $52.50 at March 31. AFG paid cash dividends of $2.80 per share during the Q1, including a $2.00 per share special dividend paid in March. Reports Q1 annualized ROE of 13.3%; core operating ROE of 13.1%. Craig Lindner and Carl H. Lindner III, AFG’s Co-CEO, issued this statement: “Our Q1 results were solid in the face of elevated industry catastrophe losses and heightened levels of economic volatility. In addition, we returned over $290M to our shareholders during the Q1 through a combination of regular dividends, special dividends and share repurchases. Our entrepreneurial, opportunistic culture and disciplined operating philosophy continue to serve us well in environments such as these, and position us for long-term success.”