Arthur Reginald Collins Sells 2,300 Shares of Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Stock

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) Director Arthur Reginald Collins sold 2,300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.55, for a total value of $268,065.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 6,186 shares in the company, valued at $720,978.30. The trade was a 27.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Aflac Price Performance

Aflac stock opened at $116.83 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $59.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.26, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.62. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $111.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $111.25. 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 Incorporated has a 52-week low of $96.95 and a 52-week high of $119.32.

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

Aflac Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.61 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 20th. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Aflac’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.70%.

Aflac News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Aflac issued $500 million of 5.150% senior notes due 2036, which should add balance-sheet flexibility and support liquidity for the insurer’s capital management plans. Aflac Issues $500 Million 2036 Senior Notes Offering
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted strong sales growth in Japan and the U.S., improving Japan margins, and a lower benefit ratio, all of which support Aflac’s earnings durability. Here’s Why You Should Keep Holding Aflac in Your Portfolio
• Neutral Sentiment: The latest quarter was mixed, with revenue beating estimates but earnings per share missing consensus, leaving investors focused on whether growth can offset margin pressure.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several recent articles questioned Aflac’s valuation and risk profile after softer Japan margins and the earnings miss, but these pieces mainly reinforced existing concerns rather than introducing a new catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan disclosed another small sale of Aflac shares under a pre-arranged 10b5-1 plan, adding to a recent pattern of insider selling that can weigh on sentiment. Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Major Shareholder Sells $2,767,885.00 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Director Arthur Reginald Collins also sold shares recently, which may add a modest headwind to investor sentiment around the stock. SEC insider filing for Arthur Reginald Collins sale

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aflac

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AFL. Stephens Inc. AR raised its position in Aflac by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 21,945 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,420,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. Compound Planning Inc. increased its stake in shares of Aflac by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 13,743 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,508,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Aflac by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 2,119 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $234,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the period. CENTRAL TRUST Co lifted its stake in Aflac by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 19,088 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,105,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HBK Sorce Advisory LLC grew its holdings in Aflac by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 7,702 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $902,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. 67.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of Aflac from $113.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group dropped their target price on Aflac from $116.00 to $114.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered 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. Barclays set a $99.00 price objective on shares of Aflac and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their target price on shares of Aflac from $130.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 1st. One research 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 issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Aflac currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $111.36.

Aflac Company 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.