Handelsbanken Fonder AB Has $18.31 Million Stock Position in Aflac Incorporated $AFL

Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its stake in shares of Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) by 5.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 156,153 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,694 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Aflac were worth $18,309,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. DNB Asset Management AS lifted its holdings in shares of Aflac by 51.3% during the 4th quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 168,003 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $18,526,000 after purchasing an additional 56,975 shares in the last quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas bought a new stake in Aflac during the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,743,000. Atlas Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Aflac during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,802,000. D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its stake in Aflac by 77.3% in the fourth quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 63,646 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $7,018,000 after buying an additional 27,751 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Integrated Investment Consultants LLC lifted its stake in Aflac by 716.1% in the fourth quarter. Integrated Investment Consultants LLC now owns 17,465 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,926,000 after buying an additional 15,325 shares in the last quarter. 67.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AFL has been the subject of several research reports. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $124.00 price objective (up from $114.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $138.00 target price (up from $130.00) on shares of Aflac in a research note on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Aflac from $111.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Mizuho set a $116.00 price objective on Aflac in a report on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $117.58.

Aflac Stock Down 0.4%

NYSE:AFL opened at $120.62 on Thursday. Aflac Incorporated has a twelve month low of $103.80 and a twelve month high of $130.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $60.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $121.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $115.68.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.76 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $4.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.11 billion. Aflac had a net margin of 26.91% and a return on equity of 13.27%. Aflac’s quarterly revenue was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.78 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Aflac Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 19th will be given a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 19th. Aflac’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.15%.

Key Aflac News

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its price target to $125 from $120 while maintaining a “market perform” rating, indicating limited but improved upside potential. Benzinga analyst rating update
• Positive Sentiment: Accident and health insurers, including Aflac, could benefit from increased underwriting exposure and greater digitalization. However, rising medical costs and inflation may pressure pricing. Zacks accident and health insurers outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo kept a “hold” rating and a $120 price target, citing Aflac’s solid sector positioning but modest growth prospects and questions around mergers-and-acquisitions capital allocation. Wells Fargo Aflac rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Director Joseph L. Moskowitz sold 600 shares worth approximately $74,460 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale reduced his position by 1.8%, making it a limited insider-selling signal. Aflac insider transaction filing
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan lowered its price target to $116 from $117 and retained a “neutral” rating, implying downside from the referenced trading level. JPMorgan analyst rating update
• Negative Sentiment: Dowling & Partners cut its fiscal 2026 earnings-per-share estimate to $7.00 from $7.05, adding pressure after Aflac’s latest quarter slightly missed consensus EPS expectations and revenue declined year over year. Aflac earnings information

Insider Activity at Aflac

In other news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 63,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.12, for a total transaction of $7,441,560.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 51,169,435 shares in the company, valued at $6,044,133,662.20. The trade was a 0.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 645,273 shares of company stock valued at $75,599,007. Company insiders own 0.80% 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.