American Equity Investment Life Holding (NYSE:AEL) Shares Sold by Strs Ohio

Strs Ohio trimmed its position in shares of American Equity Investment Life Holding (NYSE:AEL) by 3.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,600 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 900 shares during the period. Strs Ohio’s holdings in American Equity Investment Life were worth $1,372,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of AEL. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its position in shares of American Equity Investment Life by 5,296.0% during the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 1,669,263 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $89,539,000 after purchasing an additional 1,638,328 shares in the last quarter. Soros Fund Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Equity Investment Life during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $71,649,000. Alpine Associates Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of American Equity Investment Life during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $51,012,000. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of American Equity Investment Life by 48.2% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 708,859 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $38,023,000 after acquiring an additional 230,465 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd lifted its stake in American Equity Investment Life by 1,385.5% in the 3rd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 513,179 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $27,527,000 after buying an additional 478,634 shares in the last quarter. 94.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Equity Investment Life Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of American Equity Investment Life stock opened at $55.87 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $55.72 and a 200 day moving average price of $55.11. The company has a current ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. American Equity Investment Life Holding has a twelve month low of $36.69 and a twelve month high of $56.40. The stock has a market cap of $4.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.11 and a beta of 0.80.

American Equity Investment Life (NYSE:AEL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.24. The firm had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $673.53 million. American Equity Investment Life had a net margin of 7.42% and a return on equity of 25.15%. The firm’s revenue was up 61.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.64 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that American Equity Investment Life Holding will post 7.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Equity Investment Life Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 15th will be given a $0.38 dividend. This is a boost from American Equity Investment Life’s previous annual dividend of $0.02. This represents a yield of 0.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 12th. American Equity Investment Life’s dividend payout ratio is presently 17.76%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently issued reports on AEL. StockNews.com started coverage on American Equity Investment Life in a research note on Monday, March 11th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on American Equity Investment Life from $55.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, February 16th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $52.50.

American Equity Investment Life Company Profile

American Equity Investment Life Holding Company, through its subsidiaries, provides life insurance products in the United States. The company issues fixed index and rate annuities, as well as single premium immediate annuities. It markets its products through independent agents, including independent marketing organizations, broker/dealers, banks, and registered investment advisors.