7,192 Shares in Aflac Incorporated $AFL Bought by MW Advisory LLC

MW Advisory LLC acquired a new position in Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm acquired 7,192 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $843,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Aflac in the 2nd quarter valued at about $4,093,787,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Aflac during the fourth quarter worth about $420,078,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in Aflac during the second quarter worth about $404,639,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in Aflac during the second quarter worth about $298,418,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Aflac during the second quarter worth about $244,516,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.44% of the company’s stock.

Aflac Stock Performance

NYSE:AFL opened at $117.09 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $121.49 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $116.27. Aflac Incorporated has a twelve month low of $104.66 and a twelve month high of $130.22. The company has a market capitalization of $58.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.59.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) last announced 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). Aflac had a net margin of 26.91% and a return on equity of 13.27%. The business had revenue of $4.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.11 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.78 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Aflac Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on AFL. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and issued a $108.00 price target (up from $100.00) on shares of Aflac in a report on Friday, July 10th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $124.00 price objective (up from $114.00) on shares of Aflac in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Aflac from $117.00 to $116.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Aflac presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $116.62.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Aflac news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.19, for a total transaction of $1,582,065.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 50,687,690 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,940,090,391.10. This represents a 0.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 481,915 shares of company stock worth $56,604,185. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about Aflac

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Aflac partnered with actor Ben Affleck and its iconic duck for a new advertising campaign, including branded billboards and social-media activity in Los Angeles. The campaign could increase consumer awareness and support future policy sales, although its direct financial impact is uncertain. Ben Affleck and the Aflac Duck Unite for New Ad Campaign
• Positive Sentiment: Aflac remains attractive to income-focused and defensive investors. The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.61 per share, equivalent to $2.44 annually, with an approximately 2.1% yield and a payout ratio near 26%. A recent dividend-focused article also recognized Aflac’s long record of annual increases. Safe High-Yield Dividend Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: The Ben Affleck billboard activity appears to be a planned publicity campaign rather than actual vandalism. It may generate short-term brand engagement, but no revenue, earnings guidance or other measurable financial benefit was announced. Ben Affleck Aflac Advertising Campaign
• Negative Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings, a major Aflac shareholder, sold 13,500 shares for approximately $1.58 million on September 2 and has reported several similar sales in recent weeks. The latest transaction reduced its stake by only about 0.03% and was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, limiting its significance, but the repeated selling may create a modest supply overhang. Aflac Major Shareholder SEC Filing

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.