Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Major Shareholder Sells $1,469,160.00 in Stock

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.30, for a total value of $1,469,160.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 50,420,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,611,767,147. The trade was a 0.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Large shareholders that own more than 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 Monday, October 5th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,000 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.25, for a total transaction of $1,459,250.00.
• On Thursday, October 1st, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 11,900 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was 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 shares were 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 transaction 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 shares were 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 Stock Performance

Shares of AFL opened at $114.86 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $117.43 and its 200-day simple moving average is $116.84. The firm has a market cap of $57.58 billion, a PE ratio of 12.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.56. Aflac Incorporated has a 12-month low of $105.43 and a 12-month high of $130.22. 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 (NYSE:AFL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by ($0.01). The business 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%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.78 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 EPS for the current year.

Aflac Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 19th were paid a dividend of $0.61 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 19th. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Aflac’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.15%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AFL has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $125.00 target price (up from $124.00) on shares of Aflac in a report on Tuesday. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $101.00 price target (up from $99.00) on shares of Aflac in a report on Wednesday. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Aflac in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $103.00 price objective on the stock. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $110.00 price objective (up from $101.00) on shares of Aflac in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Aflac from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $116.15.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aflac

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AFL. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Aflac by 6.7% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 19,421 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,171,000 after acquiring an additional 1,219 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in Aflac by 18.1% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 37,956 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,243,000 after acquiring an additional 5,825 shares in the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Aflac by 17.1% in the third quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 8,170 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $913,000 after acquiring an additional 1,193 shares during the period. Apella Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Aflac by 18.3% in the third quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 4,916 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $554,000 after acquiring an additional 762 shares during the period. Finally, Gradient Investments LLC lifted its holdings in Aflac by 16.3% in the third quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 8,379 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $937,000 after acquiring an additional 1,175 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.44% of the company’s stock.

Aflac News Summary

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 designed to simplify workplace-benefit plan setup and improve access to Aflac’s voluntary insurance products. The initiative could improve distribution efficiency and support longer-term growth, although no immediate financial impact was disclosed. bswift launches AI-powered carrier configuration tools
• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target for Aflac to $125 from $124 while maintaining a Neutral rating. The increase indicates slightly improved valuation expectations and provides some support for the stock, although UBS stopped short of issuing a bullish recommendation. UBS raises target for Aflac
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains divided. Barclays maintained an Underweight rating despite raising its target to $101 from $99, while the broader analyst consensus remains around Hold. This limits the impact of UBS’s target increase.
• Neutral Sentiment: Aflac’s dividend continues to provide income support. The company pays $0.61 quarterly, or $2.44 annually, representing a yield of approximately 2.2% and a payout ratio near 26%. The yield may appeal to defensive and income-oriented investors, but it is not a new catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho lowered its Aflac price target to $107 from $116 and downgraded the stock to Underperform. The target implies downside from recent levels and reinforces concerns following Aflac’s latest quarterly results, which slightly missed EPS expectations and showed a 1% year-over-year revenue decline.
• Negative Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings continued reducing its large Aflac position. The major shareholder sold 13,000 shares for approximately $1.46 million on October 5, following several similar Rule 10b5-1 sales. The latest transaction reduced its position by only 0.03%, so the fundamental effect is limited, but repeated selling may create a modest supply overhang. Japan Post Holdings sells Aflac shares

About Aflac

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.