Key Points
- Japan Post Holdings sold 13,000 Aflac shares at an average price of $112.25, generating $1.46 million. The Rule 10b5-1 transaction reduced its stake by just 0.03%, leaving it with roughly 50.4 million shares valued at $5.66 billion.
- Aflac’s shares opened at $112.59, with a market capitalization of approximately $56.45 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.07. The company recently reported $1.75 in quarterly EPS, narrowly missing estimates, while revenue reached $4.22 billion but declined 1% year over year.
- Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with the consensus rating at Hold and an average price target of $116.15; recent actions included a Mizuho downgrade to Underperform and target cuts, alongside target increases from UBS and other firms. Aflac also maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.61 per share, equivalent to a 2.2% annualized yield.
Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL - Get Free Report) major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.25, for a total transaction of $1,459,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 50,407,190 shares in the company, valued at $5,658,207,077.50. This trade represents a 0.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Major shareholders that own more than 10% of a company's stock 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, October 2nd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,200 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.30, for a total transaction of $1,469,160.00.
- On Thursday, October 1st, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 11,900 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.18, for a total transaction of $1,323,042.00.
- On Tuesday, September 29th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,100 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.36, for a total transaction of $1,371,656.00.
- On Monday, September 28th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,000 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.63, for a total transaction of $1,363,560.00.
- On Thursday, September 24th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,100 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.64, for a total transaction of $1,387,144.00.
- On Wednesday, September 23rd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,500 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.20, for a total value of $1,555,200.00.
- On Monday, September 21st, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,200 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.49, for a total value of $1,408,978.00.
- On Friday, September 18th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,800 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.22, for a total value of $1,487,616.00.
- On Thursday, September 17th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,900 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.58, for a total value 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.
Aflac Trading Down 0.9%
NYSE:AFL opened at $112.59 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Aflac Incorporated has a 1-year low of $105.43 and a 1-year high of $130.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $56.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.07, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.56. The business's 50-day moving average price is $117.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $116.78.
Aflac (NYSE:AFL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share (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 analyst estimates of $4.11 billion. Aflac had a return on equity of 13.27% and a net margin of 26.91%.Aflac's quarterly revenue was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.78 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 earnings per share for the current year.
Aflac Announces Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 19th were issued a dividend of $0.61 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 19th. This represents a $2.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Aflac's payout ratio is currently 26.15%.
Key Aflac News
Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:
- Positive Sentiment: bswift launched AI-powered carrier configuration tools starting with Aflac. The technology is intended to simplify workplace-benefit plan setup and improve access to Aflac’s voluntary insurance products. The initiative could support distribution efficiency and long-term growth, although no immediate financial impact was provided. bswift launches AI-powered carrier configuration tools
- Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its Aflac price target to $125 from $124 while maintaining a Neutral rating. The modest increase suggests somewhat better valuation expectations, though UBS still does not recommend an outright bullish position. UBS raises target for Aflac
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinions remain divided. Barclays raised its target to $101 from $99 but retained an Underweight rating, while the broader consensus remains around Hold. This limits the positive effect of UBS’s target increase. Barclays adjusts Aflac price target
- Negative Sentiment: Mizuho cut its price target to $107 from $116 and downgraded Aflac to Underperform. The new target implies downside from recent trading levels and is the clearest near-term catalyst for weakness, particularly as Aflac’s latest quarterly earnings slightly missed consensus and revenue declined year over year.
- Negative Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings continued selling small portions of its large Aflac stake. Recent Rule 10b5-1 sales totaled roughly 13,200 shares on October 2 and 11,900 shares on October 1, with additional sales in prior weeks. The transactions reduce its position only marginally, so the fundamental impact is limited, but the repeated selling creates a modest supply overhang. Japan Post Holdings sells Aflac shares
Institutional Trading of Aflac
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AFL. Compound Planning Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Aflac by 0.7% in the first quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 13,743 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,508,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Aflac by 1.3% during the second quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC now owns 7,650 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $897,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Lewis Asset Management LLC grew its position in Aflac by 2.8% in the first quarter. Lewis Asset Management LLC now owns 3,935 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $432,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Apella Capital LLC grew its position in Aflac by 2.7% in the second quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 4,154 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $505,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Secure Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Aflac by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Secure Asset Management LLC now owns 6,697 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $785,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. 67.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several research firms have weighed in on AFL. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on shares of Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $108.00 price target (up from $100.00) on shares of Aflac in a report on Friday, July 10th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $122.00 price objective on Aflac and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Wall Street Zen lowered Aflac from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. Finally, Wolfe Research started coverage on Aflac in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. They issued an "underperform" rating and a $103.00 target price for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Aflac has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $116.15.
Get Our Latest Report on AFL
Aflac Company Profile
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Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) is an insurance company that provides supplemental health and life insurance products to individuals, employers and groups. Its coverage is designed to help policyholders manage expenses that may not be fully covered by major medical insurance, including costs associated with illness, injury and other qualifying events.
The company's products include accident, cancer, critical illness, hospital indemnity, disability, dental, vision and life insurance. Aflac distributes its policies through workplace benefits programs, independent agents, brokers and other distribution channels.
Founded in 1955 as American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus, Aflac has its headquarters in Columbus, Georgia.
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