Insider Selling: Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Major Shareholder Sells $1,487,616.00 in Stock

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.22, for a total transaction of $1,487,616.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 50,531,490 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,872,769,767.80. This represents a 0.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Large shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, September 21st, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,200 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.49, for a total transaction of $1,408,978.00.
• On Thursday, September 17th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,900 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.58, for a total transaction of $1,503,882.00.
• On Wednesday, September 16th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,800 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.49, for a total value of $1,621,362.00.
• On Monday, September 14th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,600 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.74, for a total value of $1,587,664.00.
• On Friday, September 11th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 14,000 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.14, for a total value of $1,611,960.00.
• On Thursday, September 10th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,300 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.32, for a total value of $1,520,456.00.
• On Tuesday, September 8th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,600 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.44, for a total value of $1,569,984.00.
• On Friday, September 4th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 15,000 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.47, for a total value of $1,762,050.00.
• On Thursday, September 3rd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 20,000 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.49, for a total value of $2,369,800.00.
• On Wednesday, September 2nd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,500 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.19, for a total transaction of $1,582,065.00.

Aflac Stock Performance

AFL stock opened at $113.89 on Friday. Aflac Incorporated has a one year low of $105.43 and a one year high of $130.22. The firm has a market cap of $57.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.21, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a current ratio of 0.12. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $120.02 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $116.56.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.76 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $4.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.11 billion. Aflac had a return on equity of 13.27% and a net margin of 26.91%.The company’s revenue was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.78 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Aflac Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Mizuho set a $116.00 price objective on shares of Aflac in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $138.00 target price (up from $130.00) on shares of Aflac in a research note on Monday, August 10th. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating and set a $110.00 target price (up from $101.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Barclays restated an “underweight” rating and set a $99.00 price target (up from $98.00) on shares of Aflac in a research note on Friday, August 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Aflac has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $116.62.

Key Aflac News

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Aflac’s defensive profile remains attractive: the company trades at roughly 12 times earnings, maintains strong profitability, and pays a quarterly dividend of $0.61, or $2.44 annually, with a payout ratio near 26%. These factors may appeal to income-focused investors. Insurance dividend article
• Neutral Sentiment: Aflac’s partnership with Rachel Zoe to promote cancer screenings through a scannable fashion jacket could strengthen brand awareness and support its cancer-insurance franchise, but it is unlikely to materially change near-term earnings. Rachel Zoe Aflac campaign
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with a broad consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target near $116.62. Institutional ownership and recent purchases by several large funds provide some longer-term support, although they have not generated a clear near-term catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings, Aflac’s major shareholder, sold another 12,200 shares for approximately $1.41 million. The sale was conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan and reduced its position by only 0.02%, limiting its fundamental significance, but the repeated September sales may create a modest supply overhang. Japan Post Aflac share sale
• Negative Sentiment: Aflac’s latest quarterly results were mixed: earnings of $1.75 per share narrowly missed the $1.76 consensus estimate, declined from $1.78 a year earlier, and revenue fell 1% year over year despite exceeding forecasts. The earnings shortfall and weaker annual comparison are likely weighing more heavily on sentiment than the revenue beat. Aflac mixed quarterly results

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AFL. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Aflac in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $4,093,787,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in Aflac by 27.8% during the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 5,201,217 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $609,843,000 after acquiring an additional 1,132,091 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in Aflac by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,550,855 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $499,216,000 after acquiring an additional 67,650 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Aflac in the 4th quarter valued at $420,078,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Aflac in the 2nd quarter valued at $404,639,000. 67.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Aflac

Aflac Incorporated is an insurance company that provides supplemental health and life insurance products. Its coverage is designed to help policyholders manage expenses that may not be fully covered by major medical insurance, including costs associated with accidents, illness, hospitalization, disability and critical illness.

Through its U.S. operations, Aflac markets policies to individuals, businesses and employees through workplace benefit programs, independent agents and brokers. The company is also a major provider of supplemental insurance in Japan, where it offers products focused primarily on cancer, medical and income-support coverage.

Founded in 1955 in Columbus, Georgia, as American Family Life Assurance Company, the business adopted the name Aflac in 1990.