Aflac Incorporated $AFL Shares Purchased by Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) by 2.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,026,455 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 24,909 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Aflac were worth $114,655,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in AFL. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Aflac in the 2nd quarter worth $432,201,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Aflac by 16.7% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,167,886 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $439,545,000 after acquiring an additional 594,971 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in Aflac by 459.0% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 701,390 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $73,969,000 after acquiring an additional 575,915 shares during the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Aflac by 146.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 772,061 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $81,422,000 after purchasing an additional 458,551 shares during the period. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its stake in shares of Aflac by 65.5% in the 2nd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 975,357 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $102,861,000 after purchasing an additional 385,955 shares in the last quarter. 67.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Aflac

In other news, EVP Steven Kent Beaver sold 7,387 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.58, for a total transaction of $839,015.46. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 40,526 shares in the company, valued at $4,602,943.08. This trade represents a 15.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders sold 16,331 shares of company stock worth $1,817,720 in the last three months. 0.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Aflac News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Aflac landed a long-term front-of-jersey sponsorship with the NWSL Atlanta expansion team — a 7-year deal that increases local brand visibility in its Georgia home market and supports consumer awareness for supplemental-insurance products. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Two recent articles pitching Aflac as a high-yield/AI beneficiary have likely drawn investor interest into the stock as an income and thematic play (coverage boosting retail demand). Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target from $109 to $118 while keeping an “equal weight” rating — a modest signal of upside but not a fresh buy recommendation. This provides some analyst support but limited conviction. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent media pieces comparing Aflac to peers and asking whether to reassess the name highlight mixed fundamentals vs. valuation — useful for context but not new company-specific catalysts. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: An Aflac EVP, Steven Kent Beaver, sold 7,387 shares (~$839k) in a disclosed SEC filing; insider selling can be interpreted negatively by some investors even though it doesn’t indicate company-wide distress. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Recent Q4 results included an EPS miss and year-over-year revenue decline, reminders of operational/headwind risks that limit upside until growth stabilizes. Article Title

Aflac Trading Up 1.3%

AFL opened at $113.90 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $111.47 and its 200-day moving average is $109.92. Aflac Incorporated has a 52-week low of $96.95 and a 52-week high of $119.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 0.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $59.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.56, a P/E/G ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 0.67.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $1.57 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.69 by ($0.12). Aflac had a net margin of 21.24% and a return on equity of 14.35%. The firm had revenue of $4.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.45 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.57 earnings per share. Aflac’s revenue for the quarter was down 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Aflac Incorporated will post 6.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on AFL shares. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Aflac in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Barclays set a $101.00 price objective on shares of Aflac and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Evercore increased their price objective on shares of Aflac from $110.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Mizuho set a $107.00 target price on shares of Aflac in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Aflac from $101.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Aflac currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $111.73.

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.