Tredje AP fonden Sells 38,393 Shares of Aflac Incorporated $AFL

Key Points

• Tredje AP fonden cut its Aflac stake by 44.2% in the fourth quarter, selling 38,393 shares and leaving it with 48,554 shares valued at about $5.35 million.
• Aflac reported Q1 earnings of $1.75 per share, missing Wall Street’s $1.80 estimate, though revenue came in slightly above expectations at $4.24 billion and was up 27.9% year over year.
• The company continues to offer a quarterly dividend of $0.61 per share, and analyst sentiment is mixed with a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $111.36.

Tredje AP fonden trimmed its position in Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL - Free Report) by 44.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 48,554 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 38,393 shares during the quarter. Tredje AP fonden's holdings in Aflac were worth $5,354,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Navalign LLC bought a new position in Aflac during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Aflac during the second quarter worth $33,000. Activest Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Aflac by 95.6% during the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 311 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake 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 purchasing an additional 162 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Park Square Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in Aflac by 80.6% during the 4th quarter. Park Square Financial Group LLC now owns 354 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.44% of the company's stock.

Aflac News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Aflac’s industry outlook remains favorable, with analysts citing benefits from rising underwriting exposure and faster digitalization in accident and health insurance. Article: 5 Stocks to Watch From Prospering Accident & Health Insurance Industry
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s quarterly dividend of $0.61 per share underscores a steady shareholder-return profile, which can help support the stock for income-focused investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional ownership remains high, and several funds recently added to positions, suggesting continued interest from larger investors.
• Negative Sentiment: A major shareholder, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan, sold about 23,500 to 24,500 shares in recent transactions under a pre-arranged trading plan, which may pressure sentiment. Article: SEC filing for Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sale
• Negative Sentiment: Director Thomas Kenny also sold 1,740 shares, adding to the impression of insider profit-taking after the stock’s recent strength. Article: SEC filing for Thomas J. Kenny sale
• Negative Sentiment: Even after a strong run, Aflac’s last earnings report missed EPS estimates, which may keep some investors cautious about near-term upside.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Aflac news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 166,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.38, for a total value of $18,655,080.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 51,723,100 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,812,641,978. This trade represents a 0.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 698,115 shares of company stock worth $78,057,526 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

Aflac Stock Performance

NYSE AFL opened at $118.38 on Wednesday. Aflac Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $96.95 and a fifty-two week high of $119.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $60.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.44, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.62. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $112.02 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $111.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.11 and a current ratio of 0.11.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.80 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $4.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.20 billion. Aflac had a return on equity of 13.88% and a net margin of 25.60%.The company's revenue was up 27.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.66 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Aflac Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 20th will be paid a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 20th. Aflac's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on AFL shares. Mizuho set a $104.00 price target on shares of Aflac in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of Aflac from $113.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group reduced their price objective 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. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on Aflac from $130.00 to $125.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Aflac from $116.00 to $111.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $111.36.

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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