Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan Sells 13,900 Shares of Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Stock

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.05, for a total value of $1,613,095.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 51,155,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,936,599,836.75. This represents a 0.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 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 transactions with the SEC.

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

• On Tuesday, June 9th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,800 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.43, for a total value of $1,477,504.00.
• On Friday, June 5th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 63,000 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.12, for a total value of $7,441,560.00.
• On Wednesday, June 3rd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 16,300 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.19, for a total transaction of $1,877,597.00.
• On Tuesday, June 2nd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 9,750 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.39, for a total transaction of $1,105,552.50.
• On Monday, June 1st, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 9,060 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.53, for a total transaction of $1,019,521.80.
• On Friday, May 29th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 9,200 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $112.75, for a total transaction of $1,037,300.00.
• On Thursday, May 28th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 9,100 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.22, for a total transaction of $1,030,302.00.
• On Wednesday, May 27th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 11,400 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.50, for a total transaction of $1,316,700.00.
• On Tuesday, May 26th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 18,000 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.03, for a total transaction of $2,106,540.00.
• On Friday, May 22nd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 31,100 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.78, for a total value of $3,662,958.00.

Aflac Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE AFL opened at $116.45 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $114.52 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $111.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.11 and a quick ratio of 0.11. Aflac Incorporated has a one year low of $96.95 and a one year high of $119.81. The company has a market capitalization of $59.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.61.

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 analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. Aflac had a return on equity of 13.88% and a net margin of 25.60%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 27.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.66 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Aflac Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 20th were paid a $0.61 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 20th. This represents a $2.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Aflac’s payout ratio is 27.70%.

Institutional Trading of Aflac

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of AFL. Quarry LP acquired a new position in Aflac during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Groupe la Francaise acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Aflac in the first quarter worth about $25,000. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Aflac in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Evergreen Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Aflac during the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. 67.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AFL has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Evercore upgraded shares of Aflac from a “strong sell” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Aflac from $116.00 to $114.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $130.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on Aflac from $113.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. One equities 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 assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $112.27.

Trending Headlines about Aflac

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Aflac continues to be highlighted as a dependable “duck stock,” with articles emphasizing its ability to quietly generate shareholder returns through dividends, buybacks, and growth in supplemental insurance products. The “Duck Stock” Keeps Quietly Making Money for Shareholders
• Positive Sentiment: The company recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.61 per share, underscoring its appeal for income-focused investors with an annualized yield around 2.1% and a relatively modest payout ratio.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain mixed, with a consensus rating of “Hold,” though some firms have lifted price targets and others see Aflac as a stable insurance name with limited near-term upside. 4 Stocks Making New Highs Despite Market Weakness
• Negative Sentiment: Major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan has continued trimming its Aflac stake through a series of sales, including recent transactions on June 5 and June 8, which can create some investor caution even though the trades were made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. SEC Filing

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.