UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 13F
FORM 13F COVER PAGE
Report for the Quarter Ended December 31, 2008
AMERICAN FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
One East Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
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(Name and Address of Institutional Investment Manager Filing this Report)
Form 13F File Number: 28-4389
The institutional investment manager filing this report and the person by whom
it is signed hereby represent that the person signing the report is authorized
to submit it, that all information contained herein is true, correct and
complete, and that it is understood that all required items, statements,
schedules, lists, and tables, are considered integral parts of this form.
Robert H. Ruffing
Vice President and Controller
(513) 579-2144
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(Name, Title and Phone Number of Person Signing
this Report on Behalf of Reporting Manager)
Signature:
/s/Robert H. Ruffing Cincinnati, Ohio February 12, 2009
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Robert H. Ruffing
Vice President and Controller
Report Type:
[X] 13F HOLDINGS REPORT.
[ ] 13F NOTICE.
[ ] 13F COMBINATION REPORT.
FORM 13F SUMMARY PAGE
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Number of Other Included Managers: 2
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Form 13F Information Table Entry Total: 58
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Form 13F Information Table Value Total (thousands): $233,065
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Name and 13F file numbers of all Institutional Investment Managers with respect
to which this schedule is filed (other than American Financial Group, Inc.):
Number 13F File Number Name of Subsidiary
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1. 28-498 Great American Insurance Company
2. Unassigned Great American Life Insurance Company
FORM 13F INFORMATION TABLE
Column 4: Column 5: Column 8:
Column 2: Market Shares or Column 6: Column 7: Voting Authority
Column 1: Title of Column 3: Value Principal Investment Other ---------------------------
Name of Issuer Class CUSIP (000's) Amount Discretion Managers Sole Shared None
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HOLDINGS OF GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY
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AMERICAN COMMERCIAL LINES COM NEW 025195 20 7 1,377 281,000SH Defined 1 281,000
AMERICAN RAILCAR INDS INC COM 02916P 10 3 716 68,000SH Defined " 68,000
ANWORTH MORTGAGE ASSET CP COM 037347 10 1 804 125,000SH Defined " 125,000
CALAMP CORP COM 128126 10 9 63 139,750SH Defined " 139,750
DISH NETWORK CORP CL A 25470M 10 9 418 37,675SH Defined " 37,675
ECHOSTAR CORP CL A 278768 10 6 369 24,786SH Defined " 24,786
FLAGSTAR BANCORP INC COM 337930 10 1 117 165,000SH Defined " 165,000
FULL HOUSE RESORTS INC COM 359678 10 9 84 75,171SH Defined " 75,171
INSTEEL INDUSTRIES INC COM 45774W 10 8 361 32,000SH Defined " 32,000
INTERSTATE HOTELS & RESRTS I COM 46088S 10 6 49 70,987SH Defined " 70,987
NATIONAL CITY CORP NOTE 4.000% 2/0 635405 AW 3 1,822 2,000SH Defined " 2,000
NATIONAL INTERSTATE CORP COM 63654U 10 0 182,274 10,200,000SH Defined " 10,200,000
O CHARLEYS INC COM 670823 10 3 169 84,500SH Defined " 84,500
PATTERSON UTI ENERGY INC COM 703481 10 1 460 40,000SH Defined " 40,000
REDDY ICE HLDGS INC COM 75734R 10 5 35 24,500SH Defined " 24,500
TIME WARNER INC COM 887317 10 5 263 26,149SH Defined " 26,149
TORTOISE ENERGY CAP CORP COM 89147U 10 0 326 25,800SH Defined " 25,800
VIRGIN MEDIA INC COM 92769L 10 1 3,682 737,807SH Defined " 737,807
HOLDINGS OF GREAT AMERICAN
LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
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AMERICAN COMMERCIAL LINES COM NEW 025195 20 7 1,475 301,000SH Defined 2 301,000
AMERICAN RAILCAR INDS INC COM 02916P 10 3 311 29,581SH Defined " 29,581
ANWORTH MORTGAGE ASSET CP COM 037347 10 1 804 125,000SH Defined " 125,000
CALAMP CORP COM 128126 10 9 63 140,750SH Defined " 140,750
DISH NETWORK CORP CL A 25470M 10 9 627 56,512SH Defined " 56,512
ECHOSTAR CORP CL A 278768 10 6 553 37,179SH Defined " 37,179
FLAGSTAR BANCORP INC COM 337930 10 1 117 165,000SH Defined " 165,000
FULL HOUSE RESORTS INC COM 359678 10 9 126 112,757SH Defined " 112,757
INSTEEL INDUSTRIES INC COM 45774W 10 8 364 32,216SH Defined " 32,216
INTERSTATE HOTELS & RESRTS I COM 46088S 10 6 73 106,481SH Defined " 106,481
NATIONAL CITY CORP NOTE 4.000% 2/0 635405 AW 3 2,732 3,000SH Defined " 3,000
NUVEEN FLTNG RTE INCM OPP FD COM SHS 6706EN 10 0 420 78,300SH Defined " 78,300
O CHARLEYS INC COM 670823 10 3 311 155,256SH Defined " 155,256
PATTERSON UTI ENERGY INC COM 703481 10 1 460 40,000SH Defined " 40,000
PIMCO HIGH INCOME FD COM SHS 722014 10 7 679 122,800SH Defined " 122,800
REDDY ICE HLDGS INC COM 75734R 10 5 27 18,650SH Defined " 18,650
TORTOISE ENERGY CAP CORP COM 89147U 10 0 1,087 85,900SH Defined " 85,900
VIRGIN MEDIA INC COM 92769L 10 1 2,408 482,588SH Defined " 482,588
HOLDINGS OF OTHER ENTITIES
EACH HAVING LESS THAN
$100 MILLION IN 13F SECURITIES
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ACE LTD SHS H0023R 10 5 3,334 63,000SH Sole 63,000
AMERICAN COMMERCIAL LINES COM NEW 025195 20 7 196 40,000SH Defined 2 40,000
AMERICAN RAILCAR INDS INC COM 02916P 10 3 400 38,000SH Defined " 38,000
BERKLEY W R CORP COM 084423 10 2 3,627 117,000SH Sole 117,000
CHUBB CORP COM 171232 10 1 3,621 71,000SH Sole 71,000
EATON VANCE TAX MNG GBL DV E COM 27829F 10 8 394 40,000SH Defined 1 40,000
ING GLOBAL EQTY DIV & PREM O COM 45684E 10 7 170 17,500SH Defined " 17,500
ISHARES TR MSCI EAFE IDX 464287 46 5 1,929 43,000SH Defined " 43,000
ISHARES TR DJ US TECH SEC 464287 72 1 724 20,500SH Defined " 20,500
MANAGED HIGH YIELD PLUS FD I COM 561911 10 8 13 10,000SH Defined " 10,000
O CHARLEYS INC COM 670823 10 3 139 69,698SH Defined 69,698
POWERSHARES ETF TRUST DYNAMIC MKT PT 73935X 10 4 793 24,400SH Defined 1 24,400
POWERSHARES ETF TRUST HI YLD EQ DVDN 73935X 30 2 166 21,300SH Defined " 21,300
REDDY ICE HLDGS INC COM 75734R 10 5 115 79,881SH Defined 2 79,881
ROYAL BK SCOTLAND GROUP PLC ADR PREF SHS R 780097 74 7 80 10,000SH Defined 1 10,000
SPDR TR UNIT SER 1 78462F 10 3 3,971 44,000SH Defined " 44,000
SELECT SECTOR SPDR TR SBI HEALTHCARE 81369Y 20 9 1,066 40,150SH Defined " 40,150
SELECT SECTOR SPDR TR SBI CONS STPLS 81369Y 30 8 837 35,060SH Defined " 35,060
SELECT SECTOR SPDR TR SBI CONS DISCR 81369Y 40 7 1,103 51,120SH Defined " 51,120
SELECT SECTOR SPDR TR SBI INT-FINL 81369Y 60 5 751 60,000SH Defined " 60,000
SELECT SECTOR SPDR TR SBI INT-UTILS 81369Y 88 6 218 7,500SH Defined " 7,500
VIRGIN MEDIA INC COM 92769L 10 1 3,392 680,000SH Defined 2 680,000
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REPORT TOTAL $233,065
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