Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Stock: Insider Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan Sells 12,000 Shares

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.72, for a total value of $1,376,640.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 50,357,140 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,776,971,100.80. The trade was a 0.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through 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 Tuesday, October 13th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 42,000 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.38, for a total transaction of $4,887,960.00.
• On Monday, October 12th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,200 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.85, for a total transaction of $1,413,370.00.
• 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 stock was sold at an average price of $112.80, for a total transaction of $1,353,600.00.
• On Tuesday, October 6th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,050 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was 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 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 stock was 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 shares were sold at an average price of $113.63, for a total value of $1,363,560.00.

Aflac Stock Performance

NYSE AFL opened at $118.07 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.12 and a quick ratio of 0.12. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $116.46 and its 200-day simple moving average is $117.18. The company has a market cap of $59.19 billion, a PE ratio of 12.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.56. Aflac Incorporated has a 1-year low of $105.43 and a 1-year high of $130.22.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) last issued its quarterly 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). 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 analysts’ expectations of $4.11 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.78 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Aflac Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $6,630,000. Atlas Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Aflac during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,802,000. Callan Family Office LLC acquired a new position in Aflac in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,546,000. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its holdings in Aflac by 137.4% in the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 40,904 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $4,796,000 after acquiring an additional 23,677 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in Aflac by 135.5% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 142,180 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $15,599,000 after acquiring an additional 81,803 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.44% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on AFL shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Aflac from $116.00 to $119.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Aflac from $122.00 to $116.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating and set a $110.00 price target (up from $101.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $138.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Aflac in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upped their price objective on shares of Aflac from $119.00 to $123.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $117.20.

More Aflac News

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

About Aflac

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.