American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) saw a significant growth in short interest in February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 13,160,000 shares, a growth of 26.9% from the February 13th total of 10,370,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,450,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.0 days. Approximately 2.2% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

American International Group Stock Up 1.0 %

AIG traded up $0.83 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $83.96. The company had a trading volume of 4,710,130 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,040,286. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $76.25 and its 200 day moving average price is $75.30. American International Group has a 52 week low of $69.00 and a 52 week high of $83.94. The company has a market capitalization of $49.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -40.36, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

American International Group (NYSE:AIG) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The insurance provider reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.33 by ($0.03). American International Group had a negative net margin of 4.25% and a positive return on equity of 8.01%. On average, research analysts anticipate that American International Group will post 6.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American International Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.91%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. American International Group’s payout ratio is -76.92%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $79.00 price target (down from $83.00) on shares of American International Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Hsbc Global Res raised American International Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. UBS Group reduced their price target on American International Group from $88.00 to $86.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on American International Group from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on American International Group from $89.00 to $83.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $84.31.

Insider Transactions at American International Group

In other news, Director John G. Rice purchased 10,000 shares of American International Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $77.00 per share, for a total transaction of $770,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 10,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $770,000. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.61% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American International Group

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of AIG. Atlanta Consulting Group Advisors LLC acquired a new position in American International Group during the third quarter worth $494,000. Artemis Investment Management LLP raised its holdings in shares of American International Group by 115.9% in the 4th quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP now owns 274,246 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $19,965,000 after acquiring an additional 147,235 shares during the last quarter. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. lifted its position in American International Group by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 70,816 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $5,155,000 after acquiring an additional 3,490 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in American International Group by 54.3% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 12,690 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $924,000 after buying an additional 4,468 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Merit Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in American International Group in the 4th quarter valued at $1,260,000. 90.60% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About American International Group

American International Group, Inc offers insurance products for commercial, institutional, and individual customers in North America and internationally. It operates through three segments: General Insurance, Life and Retirement, and Other Operations. The General Insurance segment provides commercial and industrial property insurance, including business interruption and package insurance that cover exposure to made and natural disasters; general liability, environmental, commercial automobile liability, workers’ compensation, excess casualty, and crisis management insurance products; and professional liability insurance.