Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Major Shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan Sells 13,000 Shares

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.52, for a total value of $1,514,760.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 50,726,690 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,910,673,918.80. This represents a 0.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Large shareholders that own more than 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 Thursday, August 27th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,700 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.67, for a total transaction of $1,481,709.00.
• On Wednesday, August 26th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,200 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.35, for a total transaction of $1,549,020.00.
• On Tuesday, August 25th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,700 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.49, for a total value of $1,479,423.00.
• On Monday, August 24th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,500 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.02, for a total value of $1,593,270.00.
• On Friday, August 21st, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,900 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.28, for a total transaction of $1,500,012.00.
• On Thursday, August 20th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,100 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.60, for a total transaction of $1,527,460.00.
• 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 transaction of $1,486,535.00.
• On Tuesday, August 18th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 14,200 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.94, for a total value of $1,731,548.00.
• On Monday, August 17th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,900 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.33, for a total value of $1,686,487.00.
• 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.

Aflac Price Performance

Shares of AFL opened at $115.83 on Wednesday. Aflac Incorporated has a one year low of $104.66 and a one year high of $130.22. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $121.55 and its 200-day moving average is $116.23. 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 market capitalization of $58.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.60.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) last released its earnings results 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 company had revenue of $4.22 billion for 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 firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.78 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 EPS for the current year.

Aflac Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on AFL. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Aflac in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $103.00 price target for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Aflac from $117.00 to $116.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and issued a $108.00 target price (up from $100.00) on shares of Aflac in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $138.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Aflac in a report on Monday, August 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Aflac presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $116.62.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aflac

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Aflac during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Groupe la Francaise purchased a new stake in shares of Aflac during the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of Aflac during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Archer Investment Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. acquired a new stake in Aflac in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.44% 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.