Aflac Incorporated $AFL Shares Acquired by Danske Bank A S

Key Points

• Danske Bank boosted its stake in Aflac by 29.3% in Q4 to 387,106 shares (about $42.7 million), representing roughly 0.07% of the company.
• Aflac's Q1 results showed a slight earnings miss—$1.75 EPS vs. $1.80 expected—while revenue beat at $4.35 billion (up 27.9% year‑over‑year), with FX headwinds (weaker yen) and lower investment income cited as pressures.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed with a consensus rating of "Hold" and a $111.64 average target; firms have issued divergent targets (e.g., Piper Sandler cut its target to $125 but stayed Overweight, Barclays at $99 Underweight, JPMorgan at $105 Neutral).

Danske Bank A S boosted its stake in Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL - Free Report) by 29.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 387,106 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 87,700 shares during the quarter. Danske Bank A S owned about 0.07% of Aflac worth $42,686,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Aflac by 188.5% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 225 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac during the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. Activest Wealth Management raised its position in shares of Aflac by 95.6% in the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 311 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 152 shares during the period. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Aflac by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 324 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 162 shares during the period. Finally, JCIC Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Aflac in the third quarter valued at $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.44% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on Aflac from $130.00 to $125.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Wall Street Zen lowered Aflac from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Barclays set a $99.00 target price on Aflac and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Aflac from $101.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Aflac from $118.00 to $116.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three 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 stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $111.64.

Aflac News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and U.S. sales strength helped cushion the quarter; several outlets highlight rising revenue and solid U.S. growth that partially offset headwinds. Aflac 1Q Profit Rises
• Positive Sentiment: Management is targeting higher Japan sales (near JPY 80B) and expanding its reinsurance franchise in Japan — a strategic growth vector that investors view as constructive for longer‑term earnings. Japan Growth Plans
• Neutral Sentiment: Piper Sandler trimmed its price target from $130 to $125 but kept an Overweight rating — a modest downgrade to upside expectations while remaining bullish on the stock. Piper Sandler Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate expansion: Aflac opened a South Portland, Maine office to support the state’s Paid Family & Medical Leave program — positive for local positioning but unlikely to move the stock materially in the near term. Maine Office Opening
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 EPS missed consensus as investment income came in below expectations and FX translation (weaker yen) reduced reported earnings — a primary driver of investor caution. Q1 Earnings Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Premium pressure in Japan and FX translation effects offset some Japanese sales gains, contributing to the earnings shortfall and near‑term margin concerns. Japan Premium Pressure

Aflac Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE AFL opened at $112.92 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $111.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $110.84. The company has a current ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. Aflac Incorporated has a 12-month low of $96.95 and a 12-month high of $119.32. The company has a market cap of $58.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.82, a P/E/G ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.62.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.80 by ($0.05). Aflac had a return on equity of 13.88% and a net margin of 25.60%.The company had revenue of $4.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.66 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 27.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Aflac news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 166,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $112.38, for a total value of $18,655,080.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 51,723,100 shares in the company, valued at $5,812,641,978. This represents a 0.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 572,632 shares of company stock worth $63,514,634. Insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AFL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.