Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) Receives Average Recommendation of "Hold" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Twelve analysts give Aflac a consensus Hold (3 sell, 6 hold, 3 buy) with an average 1‑year price target of $112.
• Recent quarterly results missed expectations (EPS $1.57 vs. $1.69) and revenue declined about 9.6% year‑over‑year, keeping analyst sentiment mixed and capping near‑term upside.
• Insider selling: Company insiders and major shareholder Post Holdings have sold shares in March (insiders sold ~220,877 shares over 90 days), which may weigh on investor sentiment.

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL - Get Free Report) has received a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the twelve analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $112.00.

Several brokerages have recently commented on AFL. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $119.00 price objective (up from $110.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Aflac from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Morgan Stanley set a $120.00 target price on shares of Aflac in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Aflac from $109.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Mizuho set a $107.00 price target on shares of Aflac in a research note on Monday, February 9th.

Key Headlines Impacting Aflac

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Keefe Bruyette & Woods re‑initiated coverage on Aflac with a Market Perform rating and a $113 price target — a small analyst‑driven tailwind given that the PT sits above recent trade and may support buying interest. KBW Starts Aflac at Market Perform
• Neutral Sentiment: Aflac signed an NIL marketing deal with South Carolina guard Raven Johnson — positive for brand visibility in the U.S. but unlikely to materially affect near‑term financials. Aflac NIL Deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer/financial commentary pieces (e.g., budgeting advice referencing Aflac) are appearing but are informational rather than company‑moving. Budgeting Article
• Negative Sentiment: Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan — a major shareholder — has been steadily selling Aflac shares across multiple days in March (small percentage reductions but sizable dollar amounts), which can pressure sentiment and weigh on the stock if the selling continues. Insider Selling by Post Holdings
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results (Feb. 4) showed EPS in line with last year but below consensus and revenue declined ~9.6% year‑over‑year — fundamentals that cap upside and keep analyst sentiment mixed. Aflac Earnings and Stats

Aflac Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of Aflac stock opened at $108.13 on Friday. Aflac has a one year low of $96.95 and a one year high of $119.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.11 and a quick ratio of 0.11. The stock's 50-day moving average is $111.19 and its 200 day moving average is $110.33. The firm has a market cap of $55.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.72, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 0.66.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL - Get Free Report) last issued its 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 return on equity of 14.35% and a net margin of 21.24%.The business had revenue of $4.28 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.45 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Aflac will post 6.88 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Charles D. Lake II sold 15,590 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.93, for a total value of $1,713,808.70. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 62,237 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,841,713.41. The trade was a 20.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.78, for a total value of $1,601,700.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 52,046,800 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,557,557,304. This trade represents a 0.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 220,877 shares of company stock valued at $24,170,256. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aflac

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of AFL. True Wealth Design LLC grew its position in Aflac by 188.5% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 225 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares during the period. Quarry LP acquired a new position in Aflac during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Aflac in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Navalign LLC bought a new position in shares of Aflac in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Aflac during the second quarter valued at about $33,000. 67.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.

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