Bank of New York Mellon Corp Purchases New Holdings in Aflac Incorporated $AFL

Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 2,545,147 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $298,418,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned approximately 0.50% of Aflac at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AFL. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Aflac by 13.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 57,142,072 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $6,301,056,000 after purchasing an additional 6,759,169 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac during the 4th quarter worth approximately $420,078,000. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in Aflac by 161.9% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,184,801 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $349,405,000 after purchasing an additional 1,968,738 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in Aflac by 1,184.5% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,264,090 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $141,199,000 after purchasing an additional 1,165,676 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in Aflac by 390.7% during the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,111,711 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $122,588,000 after purchasing an additional 885,141 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.44% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "hold" rating and set a $108.00 price objective (up from $100.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Wall Street Zen cut Aflac from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Aflac in a report on Wednesday. They issued an "underperform" rating and a $103.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Aflac from a "buy (a-)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $138.00 target price (up from $130.00) on shares of Aflac in a report on Monday, August 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $116.62.

Aflac Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AFL opened at $116.12 on Friday. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $121.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $116.12. Aflac Incorporated has a 1-year low of $104.66 and a 1-year high of $130.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

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 (EPS) 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 company had revenue of $4.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.11 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.78 EPS. Aflac's revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Aflac Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 19th will be given 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 presently 26.15%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Aflac

In related news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 63,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.12, for a total value of $7,441,560.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 51,169,435 shares in the company, valued at $6,044,133,662.20. This trade represents a 0.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 497,625 shares of company stock worth $58,356,483 over the last quarter. 0.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Aflac News Roundup

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

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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