Advisors Capital Management LLC Invests $1.04 Million in Aflac Incorporated $AFL

Advisors Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 8,891 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,043,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in Aflac by 64.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 14,570 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,507,000 after purchasing an additional 5,708 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Aflac by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 4,402 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $455,000 after buying an additional 183 shares during the period. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new stake in Aflac during the second quarter worth approximately $280,000. Sei Investments Co. boosted its position in Aflac by 11.2% during the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 150,334 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $15,854,000 after acquiring an additional 15,105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Main Street Financial Solutions LLC grew its stake in Aflac by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 11,953 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,261,000 after acquiring an additional 192 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.44% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Aflac from a "buy (a-)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $108.00 price objective (up from $100.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Barclays reiterated an "underweight" rating and issued a $99.00 target price (up from $98.00) on shares of Aflac in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Aflac from $117.00 to $116.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $116.62.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,700 shares of Aflac stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.05, for a total value of $1,486,535.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 50,817,790 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,948,222,319.50. The trade was a 0.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Joseph L. Moskowitz sold 600 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.10, for a total transaction of $74,460.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 32,710 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,059,311. This represents a 1.80% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 497,625 shares of company stock worth $58,356,483 over the last three months. 0.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Aflac Trading Down 0.0%

NYSE:AFL opened at $116.12 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $58.22 billion, a PE ratio of 12.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.60. The business's 50 day moving average is $121.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $116.12. The company has a quick ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Aflac Incorporated has a 52 week low of $104.66 and a 52 week high of $130.22.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 26.91% and a return on equity of 13.27%. The firm had revenue of $4.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.11 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.78 earnings per share. Aflac's revenue was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 EPS for the current year.

Aflac Dividend Announcement

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

More Aflac News

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Aflac’s quarterly dividend is $0.61 per share, or $2.44 annualized, providing a yield of roughly 2.1%. The company has a long record of dividend growth and a relatively low payout ratio of about 26%, supporting its appeal as a defensive income stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent earnings were mixed: quarterly revenue of $4.22 billion exceeded analyst expectations of $4.11 billion, but earnings per share of $1.75 narrowly missed the $1.76 consensus. Revenue declined 1% year over year and EPS fell from $1.78 in the prior-year quarter, limiting fundamental momentum.
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street’s overall view remains cautious, with a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target near $116.62. Some analysts remain constructive, including Piper Sandler with a $138 target, while others maintain neutral or underweight ratings.
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research initiated coverage with an “underperform” rating and a $103 price target, implying meaningful downside from recent trading levels. The call adds to existing concerns from Barclays and JPMorgan, which also have cautious ratings or targets. Wolfe Research Starts Aflac at Underperform
• Negative Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings, Aflac’s major shareholder, sold another 12,700 shares on August 19 for approximately $1.49 million, following sales of 14,200 shares on August 18 and 13,900 shares on August 17. The transactions were conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan and represent only a small reduction in its stake, but the repeated selling may weigh on investor sentiment. Aflac SEC Insider Filing

Aflac Company 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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