Jones Financial Companies Lllp Raises Stock Holdings in Aflac Incorporated $AFL

Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its holdings in Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) by 12.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 97,344 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,423 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp’s holdings in Aflac were worth $10,841,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in AFL. True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in Aflac by 188.5% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 225 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 147 shares during the period. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Aflac during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Aflac by 1,526.7% during the second quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 244 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 229 shares in the last quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Aflac during the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Aflac in the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.44% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Aflac

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue beat and strong top-line growth cited across reports — underlying revenues of ~$4.87B topped analyst estimates, supporting the upbeat revenue narrative. Aflac Delivers Strong Revenue Gains
• Positive Sentiment: Company reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $1.4B and reiterated a 5.2% increase in its first-quarter dividend, which is shareholder-friendly and likely supporting the rally. Aflac Fourth Quarter Results & Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue beat was reiterated in several earnings summaries, giving investors confidence in sales momentum despite EPS weakness. QuiverQuant: Q4 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and press are focused on whether Japan’s improved margins are sustainable — this is a key driver for near-term earnings expectations but remains uncertain. Can Japan’s improved margins hold?
• Neutral Sentiment: PR activity and CSR programs (Aflac’s “Check for Cancer” employer campaign) provide reputational/brand support but have limited immediate earnings impact. Aflac’s Check for Cancer Campaign
• Neutral Sentiment: Management presentation scheduled at the UBS Financial Services Conference — useful for incremental guidance or tone but not a catalyst by itself. UBS Conference Participation
• Neutral Sentiment: QuiverQuant flags mixed institutional flows (some big funds adding while others trimmed) and recent insider selling activity — watch ownership shifts but interpret with caution. QuiverQuant: Institutional & Insider Activity
• Neutral Sentiment: Market attention/option activity spiked ahead of earnings, suggesting elevated short-term volatility and hedging flows. Options Trader Interest
• Negative Sentiment: EPS missed consensus: Aflac reported $1.57 EPS vs. estimates around $1.71–$1.72, and several headlines flagged the earnings shortfall — a clear near-term negative for sentiment. Zacks: Lags Q4 Earnings Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets describe the quarter as “mixed” and note the bottom-line miss prompted negative price reaction in some trading — watch guidance and reserve/margin commentary next. Mixed Q4 Results — Shares Edge Lower
• Negative Sentiment: Japan net earned premiums slipped year-over-year, highlighting product/premium mix challenges in Aflac’s largest market and adding pressure to near-term profit growth. Japan Net Earned Premiums Slip
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings previews and “what to expect” coverage amplified attention but added little new info beyond the published results. Earnings Preview

Aflac Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:AFL opened at $113.50 on Thursday. Aflac Incorporated has a 52-week low of $96.95 and a 52-week high of $115.83. The stock has a market cap of $59.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.82, a PEG ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.67. The business has a fifty day moving average of $109.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $108.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 0.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $1.57 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.72 by ($0.15). Aflac had a return on equity of 14.97% and a net margin of 23.55%.The company had revenue of $4.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.45 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.57 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Aflac Incorporated will post 6.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Aflac Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th will be issued a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 18th. This is a positive change from Aflac’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. Aflac’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.29%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on AFL. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $119.00 price objective (up from $110.00) on shares of Aflac in a research note on Tuesday, December 30th. Mizuho assumed coverage on Aflac in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $104.00 price target for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on Aflac from $108.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of Aflac from $110.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Aflac in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Aflac presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $110.64.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Steven Kent Beaver sold 5,492 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.53, for a total value of $601,538.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 38,368 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,202,447.04. This represents a 12.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Joseph L. Moskowitz sold 786 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.75, for a total value of $89,407.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 24,829 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,824,298.75. This trade represents a 3.07% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 30,044 shares of company stock valued at $3,355,981 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

About Aflac

Aflac Incorporated (American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus) is a provider of supplemental insurance products designed to help policyholders manage out-of-pocket health care and living expenses. The company underwrites a range of individual and group policies that typically pay cash benefits directly to insureds when covered events occur, enabling greater financial flexibility for medical treatment, hospital stays, critical illness, and related costs. Aflac’s product mix includes supplemental health insurance, life insurance and other specialty coverages intended to complement primary medical plans.

Founded in the mid-20th century and headquartered in Columbus, Georgia, Aflac distributes its products through a combination of employer-sponsored programs, independent brokers and agents, and direct marketing.