Jericho Financial LLP Makes New Investment in Aflac Incorporated $AFL

Jericho Financial LLP acquired a new stake in Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund acquired 57,627 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $6,757,000. Aflac comprises approximately 3.5% of Jericho Financial LLP’s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest position.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of AFL. DNB Asset Management AS lifted its stake in Aflac by 51.3% during the fourth quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 168,003 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $18,526,000 after purchasing an additional 56,975 shares during the last quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in Aflac in the fourth quarter valued at about $3,743,000. Atlas Wealth LLC bought a new position in Aflac in the first quarter valued at about $1,802,000. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its position 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 acquiring an additional 27,751 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Aflac by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,072,717 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $118,256,000 after acquiring an additional 46,262 shares during the last quarter. 67.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Aflac Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AFL opened at $116.12 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a current ratio of 0.12. Aflac Incorporated has a 52 week low of $104.66 and a 52 week high of $130.22. The firm has a market cap of $58.22 billion, a PE ratio of 12.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.60. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $121.55 and its 200-day moving average is $116.15.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 company 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 revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.78 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Aflac Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 19th. This represents a $2.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Aflac’s payout ratio is 26.15%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AFL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating and set a $99.00 price objective (up from $98.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Aflac in a report on Wednesday. They set an “underperform” rating and a $103.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating and set a $110.00 price objective (up from $101.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Two 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 given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $116.62.

Key Stories 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

Insider Transactions at Aflac

In other Aflac news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 63,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the insider owned 51,169,435 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,044,133,662.20. This represents a 0.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 497,625 shares of company stock valued at $58,356,483 in the last quarter. 0.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Aflac Profile

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.