DOWLING & PARTN Estimates Aflac's FY2027 Earnings (NYSE:AFL)

Key Points

• DOWLING & PARTN raised Aflac’s FY2027 EPS estimate to $7.65 from $7.55 and forecast FY2028 EPS of $8.25, above the current full-year consensus estimate of $7.04.
• Aflac’s latest quarter modestly missed earnings expectations, reporting $1.75 EPS versus $1.76 expected, while revenue exceeded forecasts at $4.22 billion; revenue declined 1% year over year.
• The stock has a “Hold” consensus rating and an average analyst price target of $117.20. Aflac also maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.61 per share, equal to a 2.1% yield, while institutional investors own 67.44% of the shares.

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL - Free Report) - Equities researchers at DOWLING & PARTN upped their FY2027 EPS estimates for Aflac in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, October 13th. DOWLING & PARTN analyst J. Hurwitz now forecasts that the financial services provider will earn $7.65 per share for the year, up from their prior estimate of $7.55. The consensus estimate for Aflac's current full-year earnings is $7.04 per share. DOWLING & PARTN also issued estimates for Aflac's FY2028 earnings at $8.25 EPS.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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). The firm had revenue of $4.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.11 billion. Aflac had a return on equity of 13.27% and a net margin of 26.91%. Aflac's revenue was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.78 earnings per share.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Wolfe Research started coverage on Aflac in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $103.00 price target for the company. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $125.00 price target (up from $124.00) on shares of Aflac in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Aflac from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Aflac from $122.00 to $116.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Aflac from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (a-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Aflac currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $117.20.

Aflac Stock Performance

Shares of AFL stock 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. Aflac has a fifty-two week low of $105.43 and a fifty-two week high of $130.22. The stock's 50-day moving average is $116.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $117.18. The firm has a market cap of $59.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.65, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.56.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Aflac during the second quarter valued at approximately $4,093,787,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in shares of Aflac by 27.8% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 5,201,217 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $609,843,000 after buying an additional 1,132,091 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Aflac by 1.5% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,550,855 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $499,216,000 after buying an additional 67,650 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in shares of Aflac during the 2nd quarter worth $404,639,000. Finally, Amundi boosted its holdings in shares of Aflac by 22.6% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 3,268,209 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $358,555,000 after buying an additional 603,426 shares during the period. 67.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Aflac

In other news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 42,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.38, for a total transaction of $4,887,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 50,302,940 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,854,256,157.20. This represents a 0.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 545,051 shares of company stock valued at $63,379,217 over the last ninety days. 0.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Aflac Announces Dividend

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

Trending Headlines about Aflac

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.

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