Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Stock Gets Price Target Reduction from Mizuho

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) had its price target reduced by Mizuho from $116.00 to $107.00 in a report issued on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. Mizuho currently has an underperform rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on AFL. Wall Street Zen downgraded Aflac from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. Weiss Ratings raised Aflac from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Aflac from $117.00 to $116.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating and set a $101.00 price target (up from $99.00) on shares of Aflac in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Aflac currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $115.77.

Aflac Price Performance

NYSE AFL opened at $114.48 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $117.17 and a 200 day simple moving average of $116.83. The company has a market cap of $57.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.56. Aflac has a 1 year low of $105.43 and a 1 year high of $130.22.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $4.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.11 billion. Aflac had a net margin of 26.91% and a return on equity of 13.27%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.78 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Aflac will post 7.04 EPS for the current year.

Aflac Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Aflac news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 20,000 shares of Aflac stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.49, for a total transaction of $2,369,800.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 50,667,690 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,003,614,588.10. The trade was a 0.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 465,851 shares of company stock worth $54,213,397 in the last three months. 0.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aflac

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Compound Planning Inc. boosted its holdings in Aflac by 0.7% during the first quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 13,743 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,508,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC grew its position in Aflac by 1.3% in the second quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC now owns 7,650 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $897,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Lewis Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Aflac by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Lewis Asset Management LLC now owns 3,935 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $432,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Apella Capital LLC increased its stake in Aflac by 2.7% in the 2nd quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 4,154 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $505,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Secure Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Aflac by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Secure Asset Management LLC now owns 6,697 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $785,000 after buying an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.44% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Aflac

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: bswift launched AI-powered carrier-configuration tools beginning with Aflac. The initiative is designed to simplify workplace-benefit plan setup and improve access to Aflac’s supplemental insurance products. While no immediate financial benefit was disclosed, the platform could support distribution efficiency and future growth. bswift launches AI-powered carrier configuration tools starting with Aflac
• Neutral Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered its price target for Aflac to $120 from $125 and maintained a “market perform” rating. The revised target still implies approximately 4.8% potential upside from the referenced price, but the cut signals limited near-term conviction rather than a bullish catalyst. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods adjusts Aflac price target
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho issued a more pessimistic outlook for Aflac. Its previously reported target cut to $107 from $116 and “underperform” rating put additional pressure on the shares, particularly after Aflac’s latest quarterly EPS slightly missed consensus and revenue declined year over year. Mizuho issues pessimistic forecast for Aflac
• Negative Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings continued selling small portions of its large Aflac stake. It sold 13,050 shares for approximately $1.48 million under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale reduced its ownership by only 0.03%, limiting the fundamental impact, but repeated disposals may create a modest supply overhang and weigh on sentiment. Japan Post Holdings Aflac share sale filing

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.