Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: What is your opinion of AIG? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

American International Group, $52.17, symbol AIG on New York (Shares outstanding: 1.1 billion; Market cap: $60.5 billion; www.aig.com), is a leading international insurance company serving customers in more than 130 countries. The company went through a severe downturn in the recession of 2008/2009. Its stock dropped from over $1,200 a share in 2007, to less than $10 in March 2009. The company has three segments: Chartis, its property & casualty insurance arm; SunAmerica Financial Group, its life, accident & health insurance company (also offering annuities, mutual funds and financial planning services); and Financial Services, a business focused on commercial aircraft leasing. In late 2015, investors Carl Icahn and John Paulson launched a campaign to force AIG to split into three separate businesses. The two felt that AIG had significantly underperformed other insurance firms. They were also worried that its corporate structure was too complex to keep costs under control and that would prevent the stock from achieving its full value. As well,…