33,948 Shares in Aflac Incorporated $AFL Acquired by Employees Retirement System of Texas

Key Points

• Employees Retirement System of Texas opened a new position in Aflac during the fourth quarter, buying 33,948 shares worth about $3.74 million. Other institutional investors also added to or established positions, and institutions now own 67.44% of the company.
• Several Aflac directors sold shares recently, including Thomas J. Kenny and Arthur Reginald Collins. Insiders sold a total of 881,036 shares worth about $99.7 million over the last quarter, though insiders still own just 0.80% of the stock.
• Aflac shares were down 1.7% to $114.81, after the company reported quarterly EPS of $1.75, missing analyst expectations, even as revenue came in slightly above estimates. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.61 per share, implying a 2.1% yield.

Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new position in shares of Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 33,948 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $3,743,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Royal Palms Capital LLC acquired a new position in Aflac during the fourth quarter worth approximately $2,963,000. Expressive Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Aflac during the fourth quarter worth approximately $263,000. Flputnam Investment Management Co. increased its position in Aflac by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co. now owns 25,712 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,835,000 after purchasing an additional 1,290 shares during the last quarter. M3 Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Aflac during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,489,000. Finally, Integrity Alliance LLC. acquired a new position in Aflac during the fourth quarter worth approximately $481,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.44% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Aflac

In other news, Director Thomas J. Kenny sold 1,740 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.57, for a total value of $202,831.80. Following the sale, the director owned 13,219 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,540,938.83. This represents a 11.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Arthur Reginald Collins sold 2,300 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.55, for a total transaction of $268,065.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 6,186 shares in the company, valued at $720,978.30. The trade was a 27.10% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 881,036 shares of company stock worth $99,703,131 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

Aflac Trading Down 1.7%

Shares of AFL opened at $114.81 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $58.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.62. Aflac Incorporated has a one year low of $96.95 and a one year high of $119.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.11 and a current ratio of 0.11. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $112.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $111.79.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.80 by ($0.05). Aflac had a net margin of 25.60% and a return on equity of 13.88%. The business had revenue of $4.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.66 EPS. Aflac's revenue for the quarter was up 27.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Aflac Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 20th will be 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 of this dividend is Wednesday, May 20th. Aflac's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on AFL shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of Aflac from $113.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Barclays set a $99.00 price objective on shares of Aflac and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Aflac from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Aflac from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (a-)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Mizuho set a $104.00 price objective on shares of Aflac in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $112.27.

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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