Aflac Incorporated $AFL Holdings Lifted by Wellington Management Group LLP

Key Points

• Wellington Management increased its Aflac holdings by 71.8% in the second quarter, bringing its position to 122,662 shares valued at approximately $14.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 67.44% of Aflac.
• Aflac reported quarterly EPS of $1.75, slightly below estimates, while revenue of $4.22 billion exceeded expectations; revenue declined 1% year over year. The company also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.61 per share, representing a 2.1% yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with ratings ranging from “strong buy” to “sell”; MarketBeat’s consensus rating is “Hold”, with an average price target of $116.62 versus the stock’s reported price of $117.09.

Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL - Free Report) by 71.8% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 122,662 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 51,283 shares during the quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP's holdings in Aflac were worth $14,382,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Archer Investment Corp bought a new position in shares of Aflac in the second quarter valued at $26,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of Aflac in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Groupe la Francaise acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac during the first quarter worth $25,000. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Aflac during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Aflac in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. 67.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Aflac Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of Aflac stock opened at $117.09 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $58.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.59. 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 Incorporated has a 52-week low of $104.66 and a 52-week high of $130.22. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $121.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $116.29.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $4.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.11 billion. Aflac had a return on equity of 13.27% and a net margin of 26.91%.The company's quarterly revenue was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.78 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Aflac Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.19, for a total value of $1,582,065.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 50,687,690 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,940,090,391.10. This represents a 0.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, 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 455,215 shares of company stock valued at $53,513,586. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Aflac from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (a-)" rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Aflac from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. Barclays restated an "underweight" rating and issued a $99.00 target price (up from $98.00) on shares of Aflac in a report on Friday, August 7th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Aflac in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $103.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $138.00 target price (up from $130.00) on shares of Aflac in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Aflac has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $116.62.

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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