UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 13F FORM 13F COVER PAGE Report for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2009 AMERICAN FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. One East Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- (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 ----------------------------------------------- (Name, Title and Phone Number of Person Signing this Report on Behalf of Reporting Manager) Signature: /s/Robert H. Ruffing Cincinnati, Ohio May 12, 2009 ------------------------------- Robert H. Ruffing Vice President and Controller Report Type: [X] 13F HOLDINGS REPORT. [ ] 13F NOTICE. [ ] 13F COMBINATION REPORT. FORM 13F SUMMARY PAGE --------------------- Number of Other Included Managers: 2 ----------- Form 13F Information Table Entry Total: 60 ----------- Form 13F Information Table Value Total (thousands): $233,381 ----------- 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 ------ --------------- ------------------------------------ 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 -------------- ---------------- ----------- --------- ------------ ---------- -------- ---------- ------ --------- HOLDINGS OF GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY -------------------------------------------- AMERICAN COMMERCIAL LINES COM NEW 025195 20 7 891 281,000SH Defined 1 281,000 AMERICAN RAILCAR INDS INC COM 02916P 10 3 519 68,000SH Defined " 68,000 ANWORTH MORTGAGE ASSET CP COM 037347 10 1 766 125,000SH Defined " 125,000 CALAMP CORP COM 128126 10 9 77 139,750SH Defined " 139,750 DELTA AIR LINES INC DEL COM NEW 247361 70 2 73 12,973SH Defined " 12,973 DISH NETWORK CORP CL A 25470M 10 9 419 37,675SH Defined " 37,675 ECHOSTAR CORP CL A 278768 10 6 368 24,786SH Defined " 24,786 FLAGSTAR BANCORP INC COM 337930 10 1 124 165,000SH Defined " 165,000 FULL HOUSE RESORTS INC COM 359678 10 9 89 75,171SH Defined " 75,171 INSTEEL INDUSTRIES INC COM 45774W 10 8 223 32,000SH Defined " 32,000 INTERSTATE HOTELS & RESRTS I COM 46088S 10 6 31 70,987SH Defined " 70,987 MYR GROUP INC DEL COM 55405W 10 4 5,865 384,615SH Defined " 384,615 NATIONAL CITY CORP NOTE 4.000% 2/0 635405 AW 3 1,826 2,000SH Defined " 2,000 NATIONAL INTERSTATE CORP COM 63654U 10 0 172,482 10,200,000SH Defined " 10,200,000 O CHARLEYS INC COM 670823 10 3 254 84,500SH Defined " 84,500 PATTERSON UTI ENERGY INC COM 703481 10 1 358 40,000SH Defined " 40,000 REDDY ICE HLDGS INC COM 75734R 10 5 36 24,500SH Defined " 24,500 TIME WARNER INC COM 887317 10 5 194 26,149SH Defined " 26,149 TORTOISE ENERGY CAP CORP COM 89147U 10 0 407 25,800SH Defined " 25,800 VIRGIN MEDIA INC COM 92769L 10 1 3,541 737,807SH Defined " 737,807 HOLDINGS OF GREAT AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY ---------------------------- AMERICAN COMMERCIAL LINES COM NEW 025195 20 7 954 301,000SH Defined 2 301,000 AMERICAN RAILCAR INDS INC COM 02916P 10 3 226 29,581SH Defined " 29,581 ANWORTH MORTGAGE ASSET CP COM 037347 10 1 766 125,000SH Defined " 125,000 CALAMP CORP COM 128126 10 9 77 140,750SH Defined " 140,750 DELTA AIR LINES CORP DEL COM NEW 247361 70 2 58 4,698SH Defined " 10,370 DISH NETWORK CORP CL A 25470M 10 9 628 56,512SH Defined " 56,512 ECHOSTAR CORP CL A 278768 10 6 551 37,179SH Defined " 37,179 FLAGSTAR BANCORP INC COM 337930 10 1 124 165,000SH Defined " 165,000 FULL HOUSE RESORTS INC COM 359678 10 9 133 112,757SH Defined " 112,757 INSTEEL INDUSTRIES INC COM 45774W 10 8 224 32,216SH Defined " 32,216 INTERSTATE HOTELS & RESRTS I COM 46088S 10 6 47 106,481SH Defined " 106,481 NATIONAL CITY CORP NOTE 4.000% 2/0 635405 AW 3 2,738 3,000SH Defined " 3,000 NUVEEN FLTNG RTE INCM OPP FD COM SHS 6706EN 10 0 413 78,300SH Defined " 78,300 O CHARLEYS INC COM 670823 10 3 467 155,256SH Defined " 155,256 PATTERSON UTI ENERGY INC COM 703481 10 1 358 40,000SH Defined " 40,000 PIMCO HIGH INCOME FD COM SHS 722014 10 7 684 122,800SH 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 1,356 85,900SH Defined " 85,900 VIRGIN MEDIA INC COM 92769L 10 1 2,316 482,588SH Defined " 482,588 HOLDINGS OF OTHER ENTITIES EACH HAVING LESS THAN $100 MILLION IN 13F SECURITIES ------------------------------ ACE LTD SHS H0023R 10 5 2,545 63,000SH Sole 63,000 AMERICAN COMMERCIAL LINES COM NEW 025195 20 7 127 40,000SH Defined 2 40,000 AMERICAN RAILCAR INDS INC COM 02916P 10 3 290 38,000SH Defined " 38,000 BERKLEY W R CORP COM 084423 10 2 2,638 117,000SH Sole 117,000 CHUBB CORP COM 171232 10 1 3,005 71,000SH Sole 71,000 DELTA AIR LINES CORP DEL COM NEW 247361 70 2 27 10,370SH Defined " 4,698 EATON VANCE TAX MNG GBL DV E COM 27829F 10 8 344 40,000SH Defined 1 40,000 ING GLOBAL EQTY DIV & PREM O COM 45684E 10 7 161 17,500SH Defined " 17,500 ISHARES TR MSCI EAFE IDX 464287 46 5 1,616 43,000SH Defined " 43,000 ISHARES TR DJ US TECH SEC 464287 72 1 759 20,500SH Defined " 20,500 MANAGED HIGH YIELD PLUS FD I COM 561911 10 8 11 10,000SH Defined " 10,000 O CHARLEYS INC COM 670823 10 3 210 69,698SH Defined 69,698 POWERSHARES ETF TRUST DYNAMIC MKT PT 73935X 10 4 719 24,400SH Defined 1 24,400 POWERSHARES ETF TRUST HI YLD EQ DVDN 73935X 30 2 112 21,300SH Defined " 21,300 REDDY ICE HLDGS INC COM 75734R 10 5 118 79,881SH Defined 2 79,881 SPDR TR UNIT SER 1 78462F 10 3 3,499 44,000SH Defined 1 44,000 SELECT SECTOR SPDR TR SBI HEALTHCARE 81369Y 20 9 972 40,150SH Defined " 40,150 SELECT SECTOR SPDR TR SBI CONS STPLS 81369Y 30 8 740 35,060SH Defined " 35,060 SELECT SECTOR SPDR TR SBI CONS DISCR 81369Y 40 7 1,005 51,120SH Defined " 51,120 SELECT SECTOR SPDR TR SBI INT-FINL 81369Y 60 5 529 60,000SH Defined " 60,000 VIRGIN MEDIA INC COM 92769L 10 1 3,264 680,000SH Defined 2 680,000 ---------- REPORT TOTAL $233,381 ==========