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American Financial Announces Pricing of $350M Senior Notes
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American Financial Group, Inc. (AFG - Free Report) recently announced the offering of 4.50% $350 million senior notes, dated Jun 15, 2047. The company has priced the notes at 99.46% of their principal amount.
The company intends to deploy a portion of this offering to redeem $230 million 6.375% senior notes, due Jun 2042.The remainder will be used in the redemption of all or a portion of 5.75% $125 million senior notes, due Aug 2042.
Concurrently, Moody’s Investor Service – an affiliate of Moody’s Corporation (MCO - Free Report) – assigned Baa1 rating with stable outlook to the senior notes. The rating reflects the company’s underwriting expertise as a leading specialty-market underwriter, solid profitability and dominant presence in the fixed annuity markets. The company also possesses a solid operating profitability, capital adequacy, asset quality, and holding company liquidity. However, high operating leverage at P&C operations, modest exposure to adverse reserve development in commercial casualty portfolio, and vulnerability to both spread compression in the continued low interest rate environment are partial offsets.
The rating agency may upgrade the ratings if earnings coverage remains above 8x, financial leverage stays in the low 20% range, and IFS rating of the P&C and life subsidiaries is upgraded. However, the rating might be downgraded if earnings coverage remains below 6x, financial leverage stays in the mid to high 20% range, and IFS rating of the P&C and life subsidiaries is downgraded.
The Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) insurer is capitalizing on the low interest rate environment. The insurer has been consciously making efforts to lower its interest burden on borrowings by issuing debt in the low rate environment. In turn, these efforts will facilitate margin expansion. Though the Fed has recently raised rates – two consecutive hikes in the last two quarters – the rate environment remains low.
Shares of American Financial gained 3.58% quarter to date, significantly outperforming the Zacks categorized Property and Casualty Insurance industry’s increase of 0.26%. We believe that the company’s solid operational performance, strategic initiatives as well as robust capital and liquidity position will continue to drive the stock higher in the future.
Other Stocks to Consider
Investor interested in the property & casualty (P&C) industry can look at CNA Financial Corporation (CNA - Free Report) and Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (FNF - Free Report) . Both these carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
CNA Financial offers commercial P&C insurance products, primarily in the United States. The company delivered positive surprises in three of the last four quarters with an average beat of 12.45%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Fidelity National provides title insurance, and technology and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries in the United States. The company delivered positive surprises in three of the last four quarters with an average beat of 8.47%.
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American Financial Announces Pricing of $350M Senior Notes
American Financial Group, Inc. (AFG - Free Report) recently announced the offering of 4.50% $350 million senior notes, dated Jun 15, 2047. The company has priced the notes at 99.46% of their principal amount.
The company intends to deploy a portion of this offering to redeem $230 million 6.375% senior notes, due Jun 2042.The remainder will be used in the redemption of all or a portion of 5.75% $125 million senior notes, due Aug 2042.
Concurrently, Moody’s Investor Service – an affiliate of Moody’s Corporation (MCO - Free Report) – assigned Baa1 rating with stable outlook to the senior notes. The rating reflects the company’s underwriting expertise as a leading specialty-market underwriter, solid profitability and dominant presence in the fixed annuity markets. The company also possesses a solid operating profitability, capital adequacy, asset quality, and holding company liquidity. However, high operating leverage at P&C operations, modest exposure to adverse reserve development in commercial casualty portfolio, and vulnerability to both spread compression in the continued low interest rate environment are partial offsets.
The rating agency may upgrade the ratings if earnings coverage remains above 8x, financial leverage stays in the low 20% range, and IFS rating of the P&C and life subsidiaries is upgraded. However, the rating might be downgraded if earnings coverage remains below 6x, financial leverage stays in the mid to high 20% range, and IFS rating of the P&C and life subsidiaries is downgraded.
The Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) insurer is capitalizing on the low interest rate environment. The insurer has been consciously making efforts to lower its interest burden on borrowings by issuing debt in the low rate environment. In turn, these efforts will facilitate margin expansion. Though the Fed has recently raised rates – two consecutive hikes in the last two quarters – the rate environment remains low.
Shares of American Financial gained 3.58% quarter to date, significantly outperforming the Zacks categorized Property and Casualty Insurance industry’s increase of 0.26%. We believe that the company’s solid operational performance, strategic initiatives as well as robust capital and liquidity position will continue to drive the stock higher in the future.
Other Stocks to Consider
Investor interested in the property & casualty (P&C) industry can look at CNA Financial Corporation (CNA - Free Report) and Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (FNF - Free Report) . Both these carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
CNA Financial offers commercial P&C insurance products, primarily in the United States. The company delivered positive surprises in three of the last four quarters with an average beat of 12.45%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Fidelity National provides title insurance, and technology and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries in the United States. The company delivered positive surprises in three of the last four quarters with an average beat of 8.47%.
More Stock News: 8 Companies Verge on Apple-Like Run
Did you miss Apple's 9X stock explosion after they launched their iPhone in 2007? Now 2017 looks to be a pivotal year to get in on another emerging technology expected to rock the market. Demand could soar from almost nothing to $42 billion by 2025. Reports suggest it could save 10 million lives per decade which could in turn save $200 billion in U.S. healthcare costs.
A bonus Zacks Special Report names this breakthrough and the 8 best stocks to exploit it. Like Apple in 2007, these companies are already strong and coiling for potential mega-gains. Click to see them right now >>