UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 13F FORM 13F COVER PAGE Report for the Quarter Ended September 30, 2008 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 November 12, 2008 ------------------------------- 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: 152 ----------- Form 13F Information Table Value Total (thousands): $470,576 ----------- 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 -------------------------------------------- GLOBAL CROSSING LTD SHS NEW G3921A 17 5 99 6,521SH Defined " 6,521 TYCO INTL LTD BERMUDA SHS G9143X 20 8 1,729 49,375SH Defined " 49,375 TYCO ELECTRONICS LTD COM NEW G9144P 10 5 1,366 49,375SH Defined " 49,375 AFC ENTERPRISES INC COM 00104Q 10 7 36 4,957SH Defined " 4,957 AMR CORP COM 001765 10 6 393 40,000SH Defined " 40,000 ALLIANCE RES PARTNER L P UT LTD PART 01877R 10 8 410 13,000SH Defined " 13,000 AMERICAN COMMERCIAL LINES COM NEW 025195 20 7 2,990 281,000SH Defined " 281,000 AMERICAN RAILCAR INDS INC COM 02916P 10 3 1,091 68,000SH Defined " 68,000 AMGEN INC COM 031162 10 0 2,074 35,000SH Defined " 35,000 ANWORTH MORTGAGE ASSET CP COM 037347 10 1 740 125,000SH Defined " 125,000 BLACK BOX CORP DEL COM 091826 10 7 3,845 111,350SH Defined " 111,350 BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORP COM 101137 10 7 2,224 181,250SH Defined " 181,250 CBS CORP NEW CL B 124857 20 2 627 43,000SH Defined " 43,000 CV THERAPEUTICS INC COM 126667 10 4 853 79,000SH Defined " 79,000 CALAMP CORP COM 128126 10 9 184 139,750SH Defined " 139,750 CITADEL BROADCASTING CORP COM 17285T 10 6 214 274,053SH Defined " 274,053 CINTAS CORP COM 172908 10 5 3,948 137,500SH Defined " 137,500 CLEARWIRE CORP CL A 185385 30 9 475 40,000SH Defined " 40,000 COMCAST CORP NEW CL A 20030N 10 1 7,459 380,000SH Defined " 380,000 COMPASS DIVERSIFIED HOLDINGS SH BEN INT 20451Q 10 4 3,346 240,000SH Defined " 240,000 COMPUCREDIT CORP COM 20478N 10 0 87 22,136SH Defined " 22,136 CONSTELLATION ENERGY GROUP I COM 210371 10 0 972 40,000SH Defined " 40,000 DELTA AIR LINES INC DEL COM NEW 247361 70 2 1,037 139,149SH Defined " 139,149 DISH NETWORK CORP CL A 25470M 10 9 791 37,675SH Defined " 37,675 ECHOSTAR CORP CL A 278768 10 6 597 24,786SH Defined " 24,786 EMBARQ CORP COM 29078E 10 5 451 11,130SH Defined " 11,130 FLAGSTAR BANCORP INC COM 337930 10 1 492 165,000SH Defined " 165,000 FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES INC COM 339099 10 3 17 16,700SH Defined " 16,700 FULL HOUSE RESORTS INC COM 359678 10 9 116 75,171SH Defined " 75,171 GLOBALSTAR INC COM 378973 40 8 43 4,134SH Defined " 4,134 HOME DEPOT INC COM 437076 10 2 4,181 161,500SH Defined " 161,500 INFINERA CORPORATION COM 45667G 10 3 671 70,159SH Defined " 70,159 INSTEEL INDUSTRIES INC COM 45774W 10 8 435 32,000SH Defined " 32,000 INTERSTATE HOTELS & RESRTS I COM 46088S 10 6 167 70,987SH Defined " 70,987 KOHLS CORP COM 500255 10 4 9,101 197,500SH Defined " 197,500 LEGG MASON INC COM 524901 10 5 993 26,100SH Defined " 26,100 LODGENET INTERACTIVE CORP COM 540211 10 9 12 5,949SH Defined " 5,949 LOWES COS INC COM 548661 10 7 2,227 94,000SH Defined " 94,000 MTR GAMING GROUP INC COM 553769 10 0 250 75,250SH Defined " 75,250 MACYS INC COM 55616P 10 4 3,523 195,949SH Defined " 195,949 MICROSOFT CORP COM 594918 10 4 2,002 75,000SH Defined " 75,000 NATIONAL INTERSTATE CORP COM 63654U 10 0 245,106 10,200,000SH Defined " 10,200,000 NEWS CORP CL A 65248E 10 4 1,499 125,000SH Defined " 125,000 NEWS CORP CL B 65248E 20 3 559 46,000SH Defined " 46,000 NOVA BIOSOURCE FUELS INC COM 65488W 10 3 45 297,250SH Defined " 297,250 NORTHWEST AIRLS CORP COM 667280 40 8 632 70,000SH Defined " 70,000 O CHARLEYS INC COM 670823 10 3 739 84,500SH Defined " 84,500 PATTERSON UTI ENERGY INC COM 703481 10 1 801 40,000SH Defined " 40,000 PEPCO HOLDINGS INC COM 713291 10 2 928 40,500SH Defined " 40,500 PFIZER INC COM 717081 10 3 7,653 415,000SH Defined " 415,000 REDDY ICE HLDGS INC COM 75734R 10 5 89 24,500SH Defined " 24,500 SPDR TR UNIT SER 1 78462F 10 3 4,640 40,000SH Defined " 40,000 SARA LEE CORP COM 803111 10 3 632 50,000SH Defined " 50,000 SELECT COMFORT CORP COM 81616X 10 3 56 33,709SH Defined " 33,709 STAAR SURGICAL CO COM PAR $0.01 852312 30 5 205 45,606SH Defined " 45,606 TIME WARNER INC COM 887317 10 5 343 26,149SH Defined " 26,149 TORTOISE ENERGY CAP CORP COM 89147U 10 0 443 25,800SH Defined " 25,800 TRINITY INDS INC COM 896522 10 9 2,187 85,000SH Defined " 85,000 UAL CORP COM NEW 902549 80 7 203 23,051SH Defined " 23,051 VIRGIN MEDIA INC COM 92769L 10 1 5,829 737,807SH Defined " 737,807 WATTS WATER TECHNOLOGIES INC CL A 942749 10 2 821 30,000SH Defined " 30,000 ZENITH NATL INS CORP COM 989390 10 9 1,358 37,050SH Defined " 37,050 HOLDINGS OF GREAT AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY ---------------------------- TYCO INTL LTD BERMUDA SHS G9143X 20 8 2,736 78,125SH Defined " 78,125 TYCO ELECTRONICS LTD COM NEW G9144P 10 5 2,161 78,125SH Defined " 78,125 AFC ENTERPRISES INC COM 00104Q 10 7 54 7,436SH Defined " 7,436 ALLIANCE RES PARTNER L P UT LTD PART 01877R 10 8 1,611 51,124SH Defined " 51,124 AMERICAN COMMERCIAL LINES COM NEW 025195 20 7 3,203 301,000SH Defined " 301,000 AMERICAN RAILCAR INDS INC COM 02916P 10 3 474 29,581SH Defined " 29,581 AMGEN INC COM 031162 10 0 2,074 35,000SH Defined " 35,000 ANWORTH MORTGAGE ASSET CP COM 037347 10 1 740 125,000SH Defined " 125,000 BLACK BOX CORP DEL COM 091826 10 7 2,325 67,345SH Defined " 67,345 CBS CORP NEW CL B 124857 20 2 1,392 95,500SH Defined " 95,500 CV THERAPEUTICS INC COM 126667 10 4 1,048 97,000SH Defined " 97,000 CALAMP CORP COM 128126 10 9 186 140,750SH Defined " 140,750 CITADEL BROADCASTING CORP COM 17285T 10 6 213 273,323SH Defined " 273,323 CINTAS CORP COM 172908 10 5 3,948 137,500SH Defined " 137,500 CLEARWIRE CORP CL A 185385 30 9 475 40,000SH Defined " 40,000 COMPASS DIVERSIFIED HOLDINGS SH BEN INT 20451Q 10 4 3,372 241,900SH Defined " 241,900 COMPUCREDIT CORP COM 20478N 10 0 34 8,672SH Defined " 8,672 DELTA AIR LINES INC DEL COM NEW 247361 70 2 745 99,945SH Defined " 99,945 DISH NETWORK CORP CL A 25470M 10 9 1,187 56,512SH Defined " 56,512 ECHOSTAR CORP CL A 278768 10 6 896 37,179SH Defined " 37,179 FLAGSTAR BANCORP INC COM 337930 10 1 492 165,000SH Defined " 165,000 FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES INC COM 339099 10 3 26 25,000SH Defined " 25,000 FULL HOUSE RESORTS INC COM 359678 10 9 174 112,757SH Defined " 112,757 GLOBALSTAR INC COM 378973 40 8 128 12,402SH Defined " 12,402 HOME DEPOT INC COM 437076 10 2 4,440 171,500SH Defined " 171,500 INFINERA CORPORATION COM 45667G 10 3 855 89,388SH Defined " 89,388 INSTEEL INDUSTRIES INC COM 45774W 10 8 438 32,216SH Defined " 32,216 INTERSTATE HOTELS & RESRTS I COM 46088S 10 6 250 106,481SH Defined " 106,481 LEGG MASON INC COM 524901 10 5 479 12,597SH Defined " 12,597 LODGENET INTERACTIVE CORP COM 540211 10 9 18 8,923SH Defined " 8,923 LOWES COS INC COM 548661 10 7 2,483 104,804SH Defined " 104,804 MTR GAMING GROUP INC COM 553769 10 0 375 112,875SH Defined " 112,875 MACYS INC COM 55616P 10 4 2,158 120,000SH Defined " 120,000 MICROSOFT CORP COM 594918 10 4 667 25,000SH Defined " 25,000 NRG ENERGY INC COM NEW 629377 50 8 2,203 89,028SH Defined " 89,028 NATIONAL CITY CORP COM 635405 10 3 1,963 1,121,541SH Defined " 1,121,541 NEWS CORP CL A 65248E 10 4 1,499 125,000SH Defined " 125,000 NEWS CORP CL B 65248E 20 3 778 64,000SH Defined " 64,000 NOVA BIOSOURCE FUELS INC COM 65488W 10 3 45 297,750SH Defined " 297,750 NUVEEN FLTNG RTE INCM OPP FD COM SHS 6706EN 10 0 591 78,300SH Defined " 78,300 O CHARLEYS INC COM 670823 10 3 1,358 155,256SH Defined " 155,256 PATTERSON UTI ENERGY INC COM 703481 10 1 801 40,000SH Defined " 40,000 PFIZER INC COM 717081 10 3 5,255 285,000SH Defined " 285,000 PIMCO HIGH INCOME FD COM SHS 722014 10 7 1,049 122,800SH Defined " 122,800 REDDY ICE HLDGS INC COM 75734R 10 5 68 18,650SH Defined " 18,650 SELECT COMFORT CORP COM 81616X 10 3 83 50,563SH Defined " 50,563 STAAR SURGICAL CO COM PAR $0.01 852312 30 5 285 63,409SH Defined " 63,409 TORTOISE ENERGY CAP CORP COM 89147U 10 0 1,475 85,900SH Defined " 85,900 TRINITY INDS INC COM 896522 10 9 2,187 85,000SH Defined " 85,000 UAL CORP COM NEW 902549 80 7 464 52,798SH Defined " 52,798 VIRGIN MEDIA INC COM 92769L 10 1 3,812 482,588SH Defined " 482,588 HOLDINGS OF OTHER ENTITIES EACH HAVING LESS THAN $100 MILLION IN 13F SECURITIES ------------------------------ ACE LTD SHS H0023R 10 5 3,339 63,000SH Sole 63,000 GLOBAL CROSSING LTD SHS NEW G3921A 17 5 216 14,224SH Defined 2 14,224 AMR CORP COM 001765 10 6 638 65,000SH Defined " 65,000 AMERICAN COMMERCIAL LINES COM NEW 025195 20 7 425 40,000SH Defined " 40,000 AMERICAN RAILCAR INDS INC COM 02916P 10 3 610 38,000SH Defined " 38,000 BERKLEY W R CORP COM 084423 10 2 2,755 117,000SH Sole 117,000 BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORP COM 101137 10 7 307 25,000SH Defined 25,000 BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB CO COM 110122 10 8 209 10,000SH Defined 1 10,000 CHUBB CORP COM 171232 10 1 3,898 71,000SH Sole 71,000 COMCAST CORP NEW CL A 20030N 10 1 14,625 745,000SH Defined 2 745,000 COMPUCREDIT CORP COM 20478N 10 0 59 15,000SH Defined " 15,000 DELTA AIR LINES INC DEL COM NEW 247361 70 2 748 100,233SH Defined 1,2 100,233 EATON VANCE TAX MNG GBL DV E COM 27829F 10 8 449 40,000SH Defined 1 30,000 EMBARQ CORP COM 29078E 10 5 30 750SH Defined 750 ING GLOBAL EQTY DIV & PREM O COM 45684E 10 7 194 17,500SH Defined 1 17,500 ISHARES TR MSCI EAFE IDX 464287 46 5 2,421 43,000SH Defined " 43,000 ISHARES TR DJ US TECH SEC 464287 72 1 972 20,500SH Defined " 20,500 LOWES COS INC COM 548661 10 7 1,303 55,000SH Defined 55,000 MANAGED HIGH YIELD PLUS FD I COM 561911 10 8 23 10,000SH Defined 1 10,000 METROPCS COMMUNICATIONS INC COM 591708 10 2 1,399 100,000SH Defined 100,000 NORTHWEST AIRLS CORP COM 667280 40 8 452 50,000SH Defined 50,000 O CHARLEYS INC COM 670823 10 3 610 69,698SH Defined 69,698 PEPCO HOLDINGS INC COM 713291 10 2 229 10,000SH Defined 1 10,000 PFIZER INC COM 717081 10 3 1,014 55,000SH Defined 55,000 PHILADELPHIA CONS HLDG CORP COM 717528 10 3 5,506 94,000SH Sole 94,000 POWERSHARES ETF TRUST DYNAMIC MKT PT 73935X 10 4 990 24,400SH Defined 1 24,400 POWERSHARES ETF TRUST HI YLD EQ DVDN 73935X 30 2 235 21,300SH Defined " 21,300 REDDY ICE HLDGS INC COM 75734R 10 5 292 79,881SH Defined 2 79,881 RELIANT ENERGY INC COM 75952B 10 5 85 11,547SH Sole 11,547 ROYAL BK SCOTLAND GROUP PLC ADR PREF SHS R 780097 74 7 84 10,000SH Defined 1 10,000 SPDR TR UNIT SER 1 78462F 10 3 5,684 49,000SH Defined " 49,000 SELECT SECTOR SPDR TR SBI HEALTHCARE 81369Y 20 9 1,207 40,150SH Defined " 40,150 SELECT SECTOR SPDR TR SBI CONS STPLS 81369Y 30 8 968 35,060SH Defined " 35,060 SELECT SECTOR SPDR TR SBI CONS DISCR 81369Y 40 7 1,426 51,120SH Defined " 51,120 SELECT SECTOR SPDR TR SBI INT-FINL 81369Y 60 5 1,193 60,000SH Defined " 60,000 SELECT SECTOR SPDR TR SBI INT-UTILS 81369Y 88 6 249 7,500SH Defined " 7,500 UAL CORP COM NEW 902549 80 7 355 40,318SH Defined 2 40,318 VIRGIN MEDIA INC COM 92769L 10 1 5,372 680,000SH Defined " 680,000 WATTS WATER TECHNOLOGIES INC CL A 942749 10 2 7,196 263,100SH Defined " 263,100 ---------- REPORT TOTAL $470,576 ==========