Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Stock: Insider Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan Sells 13,200 Shares

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.30, for a total transaction of $1,469,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 50,420,190 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,611,767,147. The trade was a 0.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 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 sales and purchases with the SEC.

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

• 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 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 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 stock was sold at an average price of $113.63, for a total value of $1,363,560.00.
• On Thursday, September 24th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,100 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.64, for a total value of $1,387,144.00.
• On Wednesday, September 23rd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,500 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.20, for a total value of $1,555,200.00.
• On Monday, September 21st, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,200 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.49, for a total value of $1,408,978.00.
• On Friday, September 18th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,800 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.22, for a total value of $1,487,616.00.
• On Thursday, September 17th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,900 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.58, for a total value of $1,503,882.00.
• On Wednesday, September 16th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,800 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.49, for a total value of $1,621,362.00.

Aflac Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AFL opened at $112.59 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $117.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $116.78. 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 $56.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.07, a P/E/G ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.12 and a quick ratio of 0.12.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by ($0.01). The firm 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 revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.78 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Aflac Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 19th were given a $0.61 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 19th. This represents a $2.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Aflac’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.15%.

Aflac News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: bswift launched AI-powered carrier configuration tools starting with Aflac. The technology is intended to simplify workplace-benefit plan setup and improve access to Aflac’s voluntary insurance products. The initiative could support distribution efficiency and long-term growth, although no immediate financial impact was provided. bswift launches AI-powered carrier configuration tools
• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its Aflac price target to $125 from $124 while maintaining a Neutral rating. The modest increase suggests somewhat better valuation expectations, though UBS still does not recommend an outright bullish position. UBS raises target for Aflac
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinions remain divided. Barclays raised its target to $101 from $99 but retained an Underweight rating, while the broader consensus remains around Hold. This limits the positive effect of UBS’s target increase. Barclays adjusts Aflac price target
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho cut its price target to $107 from $116 and downgraded Aflac to Underperform. The new target implies downside from recent trading levels and is the clearest near-term catalyst for weakness, particularly as Aflac’s latest quarterly earnings slightly missed consensus and revenue declined year over year.
• Negative Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings continued selling small portions of its large Aflac stake. Recent Rule 10b5-1 sales totaled roughly 13,200 shares on October 2 and 11,900 shares on October 1, with additional sales in prior weeks. The transactions reduce its position only marginally, so the fundamental impact is limited, but the repeated selling creates a modest supply overhang. Japan Post Holdings sells Aflac shares

Analyst Ratings Changes

AFL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $110.00 target price (up from $101.00) on shares of Aflac in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $138.00 price target (up from $130.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Aflac from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $108.00 price objective (up from $100.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Two investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Aflac presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $116.15.

Institutional Trading of Aflac

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Archer Investment Corp bought a new position in Aflac in the second quarter valued at $26,000. Groupe la Francaise acquired a new position in shares of Aflac during the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. acquired a new position in shares of Aflac during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Aflac in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Aflac in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. 67.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.