Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Major Shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan Sells 41,700 Shares

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 41,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.45, for a total transaction of $4,939,365.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 51,474,645 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,097,171,700.25. This represents a 0.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 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 transactions with the SEC.

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

• On Friday, May 15th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 23,500 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.85, for a total transaction of $2,745,975.00.
• On Thursday, May 14th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 24,500 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.42, for a total transaction of $2,852,290.00.
• On Wednesday, May 13th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 24,200 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.36, for a total transaction of $2,791,712.00.
• On Tuesday, May 12th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 24,300 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.97, for a total transaction of $2,818,071.00.
• On Monday, May 11th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 24,100 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.85, for a total transaction of $2,767,885.00.
• On Thursday, April 9th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 86,155 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.24, for a total transaction of $9,756,192.20.
• On Wednesday, April 8th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 166,000 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $112.38, for a total transaction of $18,655,080.00.
• On Tuesday, April 7th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 24,200 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.45, for a total transaction of $2,672,890.00.
• On Monday, April 6th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 21,500 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.34, for a total transaction of $2,372,310.00.
• On Thursday, April 2nd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 20,100 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.20, for a total transaction of $2,215,020.00.

Aflac Price Performance

AFL traded down $1.13 on Wednesday, reaching $117.28. The company had a trading volume of 2,057,942 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,098,589. The company has a fifty day moving average of $112.17 and a 200-day moving average of $111.53. The company has a market capitalization of $59.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.31, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. Aflac Incorporated has a one year low of $96.95 and a one year high of $119.81.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $4.24 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. Aflac had a net margin of 25.60% and a return on equity of 13.88%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 27.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.66 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Aflac Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 20th will be given a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 20th. Aflac’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.70%.

Key Stories Impacting Aflac

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks said the accident and health insurance industry remains attractive, citing benefits from rising underwriting exposure and faster digitalization, which is supportive for Aflac and peers. Article: Zacks Industry Outlook Highlights Aflac, Unum, Globe Life, Trupanion and Employers
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s quarterly dividend of $0.61 per share reinforces its appeal to income investors and may help support the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Aflac’s latest earnings call highlighted strength in Japan, suggesting underlying business momentum even though the most recent EPS report missed expectations. Article: Aflac Earnings Call Highlights Japan Surge and Strength
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling has weighed on sentiment, including a recent $4.9 million sale by insiders and additional share sales by major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan. Article: Aflac Insiders Sell US$4.9m Of Stock, Possibly Signalling Caution
• Negative Sentiment: Director Thomas Kenny also sold shares, adding to concerns that insiders may be taking profits after the stock’s recent strength. Article: Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Director Sells $202,831.80 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Investors may also stay cautious because Aflac’s last reported EPS missed analyst estimates, even though revenue came in ahead of expectations.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aflac

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Aflac by 13.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 57,142,072 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $6,301,056,000 after purchasing an additional 6,759,169 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 67,650 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its stake in Aflac by 0.3% during the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 3,926,777 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $438,621,000 after buying an additional 13,666 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Aflac during the fourth quarter valued at about $420,078,000. Finally, Amundi lifted its stake in Aflac by 22.6% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 3,268,209 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $358,555,000 after buying an additional 603,426 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.44% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Aflac from $116.00 to $111.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of Aflac from $113.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Evercore upgraded shares of Aflac from a “strong sell” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of Aflac from $130.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Aflac from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Aflac presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $111.36.

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.