Insider Selling: Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Major Shareholder Sells 12,000 Shares of Company Stock

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $112.80, for a total transaction of $1,353,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 50,382,140 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,683,105,392. This represents a 0.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Large shareholders that own more than 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

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

• On Tuesday, October 6th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,050 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.49, for a total transaction of $1,481,044.50.
• On Monday, October 5th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,000 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.25, for a total transaction of $1,459,250.00.
• On Friday, October 2nd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,200 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.30, for a total transaction of $1,469,160.00.
• On Thursday, October 1st, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 11,900 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.18, for a total value of $1,323,042.00.
• On Tuesday, September 29th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,100 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.36, for a total value of $1,371,656.00.
• On Monday, September 28th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,000 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.63, for a total value of $1,363,560.00.
• On Thursday, September 24th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,100 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.64, for a total value of $1,387,144.00.
• On Wednesday, September 23rd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,500 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.20, for a total value of $1,555,200.00.
• On Monday, September 21st, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,200 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.49, for a total value of $1,408,978.00.
• On Friday, September 18th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,800 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.22, for a total value of $1,487,616.00.

Aflac Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AFL traded down $0.46 during trading on Friday, reaching $114.48. The stock had a trading volume of 1,294,057 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,296,299. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $117.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $116.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Aflac Incorporated has a 52 week low of $105.43 and a 52 week high of $130.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.56.

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

Aflac Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Mizuho cut their price objective on Aflac from $116.00 to $107.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $110.00 price target (up from $101.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Aflac from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Aflac from $117.00 to $116.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on shares of Aflac from $125.00 to $120.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Aflac has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $115.77.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aflac

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Aflac during the second quarter valued at about $4,093,787,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $404,639,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of Aflac during the second quarter valued at approximately $298,418,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Aflac in the second quarter valued at $244,516,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Aflac by 161.9% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,184,801 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $349,405,000 after purchasing an additional 1,968,738 shares in the last quarter. 67.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Aflac News

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: bswift launched AI-powered carrier-configuration tools beginning with Aflac. The initiative is designed to simplify workplace-benefit plan setup and improve access to Aflac’s supplemental insurance products. While no immediate financial benefit was disclosed, the platform could support distribution efficiency and future growth. bswift launches AI-powered carrier configuration tools starting with Aflac
• Neutral Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered its price target for Aflac to $120 from $125 and maintained a “market perform” rating. The revised target still implies approximately 4.8% potential upside from the referenced price, but the cut signals limited near-term conviction rather than a bullish catalyst. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods adjusts Aflac price target
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho issued a more pessimistic outlook for Aflac. Its previously reported target cut to $107 from $116 and “underperform” rating put additional pressure on the shares, particularly after Aflac’s latest quarterly EPS slightly missed consensus and revenue declined year over year. Mizuho issues pessimistic forecast for Aflac
• Negative Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings continued selling small portions of its large Aflac stake. It sold 13,050 shares for approximately $1.48 million under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale reduced its ownership by only 0.03%, limiting the fundamental impact, but repeated disposals may create a modest supply overhang and weigh on sentiment. Japan Post Holdings Aflac share sale filing

Aflac Company Profile

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) is an insurance company that provides supplemental health and life insurance products to individuals, employers and groups. Its coverage is designed to help policyholders manage expenses that may not be fully covered by major medical insurance, including costs associated with illness, injury and other qualifying events.

The company’s products include accident, cancer, critical illness, hospital indemnity, disability, dental, vision and life insurance. Aflac distributes its policies through workplace benefits programs, independent agents, brokers and other distribution channels.

Founded in 1955 as American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus, Aflac has its headquarters in Columbus, Georgia.