19,736 Shares in Aflac Incorporated $AFL Acquired by Equitable Holdings Inc.

Equitable Holdings Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 19,736 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $2,314,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of AFL. Centaurus Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Aflac in the second quarter worth $2,158,000. Coastal Bridge Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Aflac during the second quarter valued at $359,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Aflac during the second quarter valued at $683,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in shares of Aflac in the second quarter worth about $22,109,000. Finally, MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH bought a new position in shares of Aflac in the second quarter worth about $242,000. Institutional investors own 67.44% of the company's stock.

Aflac Stock Performance

AFL stock opened at $116.66 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. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $121.62 and a 200 day moving average price of $116.21. The company has a market capitalization of $58.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.50, a PEG ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.60. Aflac Incorporated has a 1-year low of $104.66 and a 1-year high of $130.22.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by ($0.01). Aflac had a return on equity of 13.27% and a net margin of 26.91%.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 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Aflac Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 19th will be given a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 19th. Aflac's dividend payout ratio is presently 26.15%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on AFL. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Mizuho set a $116.00 price objective on shares of Aflac in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Wells Fargo & Company set a $122.00 price target on shares of Aflac and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Barclays reiterated an "underweight" rating and issued a $99.00 price target (up from $98.00) on shares of Aflac in a report on Friday, August 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $116.62.

Key Stories Impacting Aflac

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Aflac’s quarterly dividend remains a support for income-focused investors. The company declared a $0.61-per-share payment, equivalent to $2.44 annually and a yield of approximately 2.1%, with a relatively modest 26.15% payout ratio. A Boring Dividend Growth Strategy Becomes a Solid Defensive Play
• Neutral Sentiment: Aflac’s valuation remains relatively moderate, with a price-to-earnings ratio near 12.5. However, analyst sentiment is mixed: the consensus rating is “Hold,” and the average price target of $116.62 is close to the stock’s recent trading level.
• Neutral Sentiment: Aflac’s recent quarterly results were mixed. Earnings of $1.75 per share narrowly missed estimates, while revenue of $4.22 billion exceeded expectations; revenue nevertheless declined 1% year over year and EPS fell from $1.78 in the prior-year quarter. Aflac stock steadies as Japan Post trims stake and mixed Q2 2026 results shape outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings has continued reducing its Aflac stake, selling 13,200 shares for approximately $1.55 million on August 26 and 12,700 shares for approximately $1.48 million on August 25. The transactions were conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, and each reduced its ownership by only 0.03%, limiting the immediate fundamental impact. However, the repeated sales may create a supply overhang and weigh on investor sentiment. Major AFLAC Stakeholder Makes Bold Move With Multimillion-Dollar Stock Sale

Insider Buying and Selling at Aflac

In other news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.35, for a total transaction of $1,549,020.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 50,752,390 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,955,792,966.50. This trade represents a 0.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 515,325 shares of company stock valued at $60,514,826. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Aflac Profile

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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