Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Major Shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan Sells 12,200 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Japan Post Holdings sold 12,200 Aflac shares at an average price of $115.85, generating approximately $1.41 million. The Rule 10b5-1 transaction reduced its ownership by just 0.02%, leaving it with about 50.3 million shares.
• Aflac shares rose 0.6% to $117.13, near the company’s average analyst price target of $117. Analysts’ overall consensus remains “Hold,” reflecting mixed views ranging from “Strong Buy” to “Sell.”
• Aflac reported quarterly EPS of $1.75, slightly below estimates, while revenue of $4.22 billion exceeded expectations. The company also maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.61, equivalent to a 2.1% annualized yield.

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL - Get Free Report) major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.85, for a total value of $1,413,370.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 50,344,940 shares in the company, valued at $5,832,461,299. This trade represents a 0.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction 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. Major shareholders that own 10% or more of a company's shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Friday, October 9th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,000 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.72, for a total transaction of $1,376,640.00.
• On Thursday, October 8th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,000 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.45, for a total value of $1,487,850.00.
• On Wednesday, October 7th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,000 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $112.80, for a total value of $1,353,600.00.
• On Tuesday, October 6th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,050 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.49, for a total value of $1,481,044.50.
• On Monday, October 5th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,000 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $112.25, for a total value of $1,459,250.00.
• On Friday, October 2nd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,200 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.30, for a total transaction of $1,469,160.00.
• On Thursday, October 1st, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 11,900 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.18, for a total transaction of $1,323,042.00.
• On Tuesday, September 29th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,100 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.36, for a total value of $1,371,656.00.
• On Monday, September 28th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,000 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.63, for a total value of $1,363,560.00.
• On Thursday, September 24th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,100 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.64, for a total value of $1,387,144.00.

Aflac Trading Up 0.6%

AFL stock traded up $0.69 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $117.13. 219,289 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,277,577. Aflac Incorporated has a 1-year low of $105.43 and a 1-year high of $130.22. The company has a current ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $58.72 billion, a PE ratio of 12.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.56. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $116.77 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $117.03.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.76 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $4.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.11 billion. Aflac had a net margin of 26.91% and a return on equity of 13.27%. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.78 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Aflac Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on AFL shares. Barclays reissued an "underweight" rating and issued a $101.00 target price (up from $99.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Aflac from $117.00 to $116.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Mizuho cut their price objective on Aflac from $116.00 to $107.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $138.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Aflac in a report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Evercore raised their target price on Aflac from $109.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Aflac presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $117.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aflac

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Aflac during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $4,093,787,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in Aflac during the 2nd quarter worth $404,639,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac in the 2nd quarter worth $298,418,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Aflac during the second quarter worth about $244,516,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in Aflac by 161.9% in 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 during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.44% of the company's stock.

More Aflac News

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America maintained its “buy” rating while lowering its price target from $137 to $133. The revised target still implies meaningful upside from recent levels and provides a constructive signal for Aflac (AFL). Bank of America Aflac Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Aflac’s annual WorkForces Report found that employee financial vulnerability and concerns about unexpected health costs remain widespread. Those trends could support long-term demand for Aflac’s supplemental insurance products, while increased use of artificial intelligence to research benefits may improve consumer engagement. Aflac WorkForces Report
• Neutral Sentiment: KBW reaffirmed its “hold” rating. The broader analyst view remains mixed, with a consensus rating near “hold” and an average price target close to Aflac’s recent trading level. KBW Aflac Hold Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo reduced its price target from $122 to $116 and kept an “equal weight” rating, suggesting limited near-term upside and weighing on sentiment. Wells Fargo Aflac Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings, a major Aflac shareholder, sold 13,000 shares for approximately $1.5 million. However, the transaction represented only 0.03% of its holdings and was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, making the signal relatively minor. Japan Post Aflac Share Sale

Aflac Company Profile

Aflac Incorporated NYSE: AFL is an insurance company that provides supplemental health and life insurance products to individuals, employers and groups. Its coverage is designed to help policyholders manage expenses that may not be fully covered by major medical insurance, including costs associated with illness, injury and other qualifying events.

The company's products include accident, cancer, critical illness, hospital indemnity, disability, dental, vision and life insurance. Aflac distributes its policies through workplace benefits programs, independent agents, brokers and other distribution channels.

Founded in 1955 as American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus, Aflac has its headquarters in Columbus, Georgia.

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