Key Points
- Japan Post Holdings continued selling Aflac shares, disposing of 12,200 shares at an average price of $115.49 for approximately $1.41 million. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan and reduced its ownership by just 0.02%.
- Aflac’s latest results were mixed: quarterly revenue of $4.22 billion exceeded estimates, but earnings of $1.75 per share narrowly missed consensus and declined year over year. Revenue also fell 1% from the prior year.
- Aflac pays a quarterly dividend of $0.61 per share, or $2.44 annually, for a yield of about 2.1%; its payout ratio is approximately 26%. Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $116.62.
Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL - Get Free Report) major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,200 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, September 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.49, for a total transaction of $1,408,978.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 50,519,290 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,834,472,802.10. The trade was a 0.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Large shareholders that own at least 10% of a company's shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.
Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Friday, September 18th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,800 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.22, for a total transaction of $1,487,616.00.
- On Thursday, September 17th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,900 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.58, for a total transaction of $1,503,882.00.
- On Wednesday, September 16th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,800 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.49, for a total value of $1,621,362.00.
- On Monday, September 14th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,600 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.74, for a total value of $1,587,664.00.
- On Friday, September 11th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 14,000 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.14, for a total value of $1,611,960.00.
- On Thursday, September 10th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,300 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.32, for a total value of $1,520,456.00.
- On Tuesday, September 8th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,600 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.44, for a total value of $1,569,984.00.
- On Friday, September 4th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 15,000 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.47, for a total transaction of $1,762,050.00.
- On Thursday, September 3rd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 20,000 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.49, for a total transaction of $2,369,800.00.
- On Wednesday, September 2nd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,500 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.19, for a total transaction of $1,582,065.00.
Aflac Stock Performance
Shares of Aflac stock opened at $115.18 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $57.75 billion, a PE ratio of 12.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.59. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $120.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $116.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a current ratio of 0.12. Aflac Incorporated has a 1 year low of $105.43 and a 1 year high of $130.22.
Aflac (NYSE:AFL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.76 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $4.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.11 billion. Aflac had a return on equity of 13.27% and a net margin of 26.91%.The business's revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.78 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Aflac Dividend Announcement
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 19th were given a dividend of $0.61 per share. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 19th. Aflac's dividend payout ratio is currently 26.15%.
Key Aflac News
Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Aflac reported quarterly revenue of $4.22 billion, above the $4.11 billion consensus estimate. The company remains highly profitable, with a net margin of 26.91%, and its valuation near 12 times earnings may appeal to defensive and income-focused investors. Aflac mixed Q2 earnings report
- Positive Sentiment: The company’s $0.61 quarterly dividend, equivalent to $2.44 annually and a yield of roughly 2.1%, continues to support Aflac’s appeal as a steady income investment. Its payout ratio remains relatively low at about 26%, leaving room for continued dividend support.
- Neutral Sentiment: Aflac partnered with fashion designer Rachel Zoe on a scannable “check” jacket to encourage cancer screenings. The campaign reinforces Aflac’s cancer-insurance brand and public visibility, but is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Aflac and Rachel Zoe cancer-screening campaign
- Neutral Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings, a major shareholder, continued selling small blocks of Aflac shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The latest sale involved 12,800 shares worth about $1.49 million, reducing its ownership by only 0.03%; the activity may create limited supply pressure but is not necessarily a bearish signal about fundamentals. SEC filing on Japan Post Holdings sale
- Negative Sentiment: Adjusted earnings of $1.75 per share narrowly missed the $1.76 consensus and declined from $1.78 a year earlier. Revenue also fell 1% year over year, tempering the positive impact of the revenue beat and keeping analyst sentiment broadly at “Hold.”
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several research firms have recently commented on AFL. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Aflac from $117.00 to $116.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $138.00 target price (up from $130.00) on shares of Aflac in a report on Monday, August 10th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $122.00 price target on Aflac and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $110.00 price objective (up from $101.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $116.62.
View Our Latest Analysis on AFL
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aflac
A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Aflac by 2.9% during the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 98,530 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $11,553,000 after purchasing an additional 2,752 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its position in shares of Aflac by 10.3% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 4,567 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $535,000 after purchasing an additional 426 shares during the period. Andra AP fonden boosted its position in shares of Aflac by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 38,700 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $4,538,000 after purchasing an additional 626 shares during the period. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA increased its stake in Aflac by 24.4% in the 2nd quarter. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA now owns 39,570 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $4,640,000 after purchasing an additional 7,752 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC increased its stake in Aflac by 137.4% in the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 40,904 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $4,796,000 after purchasing an additional 23,677 shares in the last quarter. 67.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Aflac Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
Aflac Incorporated is an insurance company that provides supplemental health and life insurance products. Its coverage is designed to help policyholders manage expenses that may not be fully covered by major medical insurance, including costs associated with accidents, illness, hospitalization, disability and critical illness.
Through its U.S. operations, Aflac markets policies to individuals, businesses and employees through workplace benefit programs, independent agents and brokers. The company is also a major provider of supplemental insurance in Japan, where it offers products focused primarily on cancer, medical and income-support coverage.
Founded in 1955 in Columbus, Georgia, as American Family Life Assurance Company, the business adopted the name Aflac in 1990.
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