Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL – Get Free Report) major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.33, for a total value of $1,686,487.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 50,844,690 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,168,986,237.70. This trade represents a 0.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Major shareholders that own at least 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 Wednesday, August 19th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,700 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.05, for a total value of $1,486,535.00.
- On Tuesday, August 18th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 14,200 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.94, for a total value of $1,731,548.00.
- On Friday, August 14th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 14,100 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.43, for a total value of $1,712,163.00.
- On Thursday, August 13th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,000 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.09, for a total value of $1,574,170.00.
- On Monday, June 22nd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 27,845 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.71, for a total transaction of $3,249,789.95.
- On Thursday, June 18th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 3,300 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.92, for a total transaction of $385,836.00.
- On Wednesday, June 17th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 26,300 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.62, for a total transaction of $3,067,106.00.
- On Tuesday, June 16th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 30,000 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.39, for a total transaction of $3,521,700.00.
- On Monday, June 15th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 28,800 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.17, for a total transaction of $3,374,496.00.
- On Friday, June 12th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 53,000 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.74, for a total transaction of $6,240,220.00.
Aflac Price Performance
NYSE AFL opened at $116.12 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $121.55 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $116.12. Aflac Incorporated has a 52 week low of $104.66 and a 52 week high of $130.22. The stock has a market cap of $58.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.60. 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 Announces Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 19th will be given a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 19th. Aflac’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.15%.
Key Headlines Impacting Aflac
Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Aflac’s quarterly dividend is $0.61 per share, or $2.44 annualized, providing a yield of roughly 2.1%. The company has a long record of dividend growth and a relatively low payout ratio of about 26%, supporting its appeal as a defensive income stock.
- Neutral Sentiment: Recent earnings were mixed: quarterly revenue of $4.22 billion exceeded analyst expectations of $4.11 billion, but earnings per share of $1.75 narrowly missed the $1.76 consensus. Revenue declined 1% year over year and EPS fell from $1.78 in the prior-year quarter, limiting fundamental momentum.
- Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street’s overall view remains cautious, with a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target near $116.62. Some analysts remain constructive, including Piper Sandler with a $138 target, while others maintain neutral or underweight ratings.
- Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research initiated coverage with an “underperform” rating and a $103 price target, implying meaningful downside from recent trading levels. The call adds to existing concerns from Barclays and JPMorgan, which also have cautious ratings or targets. Wolfe Research Starts Aflac at Underperform
- Negative Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings, Aflac’s major shareholder, sold another 12,700 shares on August 19 for approximately $1.49 million, following sales of 14,200 shares on August 18 and 13,900 shares on August 17. The transactions were conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan and represent only a small reduction in its stake, but the repeated selling may weigh on investor sentiment. Aflac SEC Insider Filing
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of brokerages have issued reports on AFL. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $124.00 price target (up from $114.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $138.00 price target (up from $130.00) on shares of Aflac in a report on Monday, August 10th. Barclays restated an “underweight” rating and set a $99.00 price objective (up from $98.00) on shares of Aflac in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Aflac from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Aflac presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $116.62.
View Our Latest Research Report on Aflac
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aflac
A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Stephens Inc. AR boosted its stake in Aflac by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 21,945 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,420,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Compound Planning Inc. raised its stake in shares of Aflac by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 13,743 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,508,000 after buying an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Aflac by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 2,119 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $234,000 after buying an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co lifted its holdings in shares of Aflac by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 19,088 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,105,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the period. Finally, HBK Sorce Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Aflac by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 7,702 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $902,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the period. 67.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
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.
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