Strs Ohio Purchases 17,395 Shares of Aflac Incorporated $AFL

Key Points

• Strs Ohio raised its Aflac stake by 15.1%, buying 17,395 shares to hold 132,226 shares valued at about $14.58 million at the end of the quarter.
• Aflac reported Q1 EPS of $1.75, missing the $1.80 consensus, while revenue of $4.35 billion beat estimates and rose 27.9% year‑over‑year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.61 per share (annualized $2.44), a 2.2% yield, payable June 1 with an ex‑dividend date of May 20.

Strs Ohio raised its holdings in shares of Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL - Free Report) by 15.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 132,226 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 17,395 shares during the period. Strs Ohio's holdings in Aflac were worth $14,581,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings in Aflac by 188.5% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 225 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 147 shares during the period. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Aflac in the second quarter worth about $33,000. Activest Wealth Management lifted its holdings in Aflac by 95.6% in the fourth 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. lifted its holdings in Aflac by 100.0% in the third 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, Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new stake in Aflac in the fourth quarter worth about $44,000. 67.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Aflac Price Performance

Shares of AFL opened at $112.92 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $58.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 0.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $111.37 and a 200 day moving average of $110.84. Aflac Incorporated has a twelve month low of $96.95 and a twelve month high of $119.32.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.80 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $4.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. Aflac had a net margin of 25.60% and a return on equity of 13.88%. Aflac's revenue was up 27.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.66 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Aflac Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 20th will be given a dividend of $0.61 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 20th. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Aflac's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Aflac

In related news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 86,155 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.24, for a total transaction of $9,756,192.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 51,636,945 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,847,367,651.80. This trade represents a 0.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 572,632 shares of company stock worth $63,514,634 over the last ninety days. 0.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on AFL shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Aflac from $118.00 to $116.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 10th. Evercore raised shares of Aflac from a "strong sell" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on shares of Aflac from $113.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Aflac from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Aflac from $116.00 to $114.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target 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 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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