Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Stock: Insider Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan Sells 12,200 Shares

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.85, for a total value of $1,413,370.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 50,344,940 shares in the company, valued at $5,832,461,299. This represents a 0.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Major shareholders that own 10% or more 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 Tuesday, October 13th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 42,000 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.38, for a total transaction of $4,887,960.00.
• On Friday, October 9th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,000 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.72, for a total transaction of $1,376,640.00.
• On Thursday, October 8th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,000 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.45, for a total transaction of $1,487,850.00.
• On Wednesday, October 7th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,000 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.80, for a total value of $1,353,600.00.
• 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 value 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 shares were 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 transaction of $1,323,042.00.
• On Tuesday, September 29th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,100 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.36, for a total transaction of $1,371,656.00.
• On Monday, September 28th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,000 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.63, for a total transaction of $1,363,560.00.

Aflac Price Performance

Shares of AFL opened at $118.07 on Friday. Aflac Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $105.43 and a fifty-two week high of $130.22. The company has a market capitalization of $59.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.56. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $116.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $117.18. 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 (NYSE:AFL) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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). 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 was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.78 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Aflac Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AFL has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings raised Aflac from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $110.00 price target (up from $101.00) on shares of Aflac in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Aflac from $122.00 to $116.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Aflac from $119.00 to $123.00 in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating and issued a $101.00 price objective (up from $99.00) on shares of Aflac in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Aflac presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $117.20.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aflac

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AFL. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Aflac in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Groupe la Francaise bought a new stake in Aflac during the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Archer Investment Corp bought a new stake in Aflac during the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. bought a new stake in Aflac during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new position in Aflac in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. 67.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Aflac

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on Aflac to $119 from $116 while maintaining a “neutral” rating. The increase reflects somewhat improved valuation support, although the target implies only limited upside from recent trading levels. JPMorgan Aflac Price Target Update
• Positive Sentiment: AM Best affirmed the credit ratings of Aflac and its subsidiaries, reinforcing confidence in the insurer’s financial strength and ability to meet policyholder obligations. This is supportive for a defensive insurer whose earnings depend partly on balance-sheet stability. AM Best Affirms Aflac Credit Ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America lowered its Aflac price target to $133 but retained a “buy” rating. The higher target remains well above recent trading levels, but the reduction indicates some reassessment of near-term valuation or sector conditions. Bank of America Cuts Aflac Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings continued selling Aflac shares, including transactions totaling 42,000 shares on October 13 and additional sales on October 9 and 12. Each sale represented only about 0.02%–0.08% of its large position and was conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, limiting the immediate fundamental impact. However, the repeated disposals may weigh on sentiment and raise concerns about ongoing insider supply. Aflac Shareholder SEC 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.