Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan Sells 12,800 Shares of Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Stock

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.77, for a total transaction of $1,481,856.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 50,701,190 shares in the company, valued at $5,869,676,766.30. This represents a 0.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Large 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 Wednesday, September 2nd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,500 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.19, for a total transaction of $1,582,065.00.
• On Monday, August 31st, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,700 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.00, for a total value of $1,473,200.00.
• On Friday, August 28th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,000 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.52, for a total value of $1,514,760.00.
• On Thursday, August 27th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,700 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.67, for a total value of $1,481,709.00.
• On Wednesday, August 26th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,200 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.35, for a total value of $1,549,020.00.
• On Tuesday, August 25th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,700 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.49, for a total value of $1,479,423.00.
• On Monday, August 24th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,500 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.02, for a total value of $1,593,270.00.
• On Friday, August 21st, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,900 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.28, for a total value of $1,500,012.00.
• On Thursday, August 20th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,100 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.60, for a total transaction of $1,527,460.00.
• On Wednesday, August 19th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 12,700 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.05, for a total transaction of $1,486,535.00.

Aflac Trading Down 1.1%

AFL opened at $117.09 on Friday. 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 $58.70 billion, a PE ratio of 12.55, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.59. Aflac Incorporated has a 1-year low of $104.66 and a 1-year high of $130.22. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $121.49 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $116.27.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by ($0.01). Aflac had a return on equity of 13.27% and a net margin of 26.91%.The company had revenue of $4.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.11 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.78 earnings per share. Aflac’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Aflac Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 19th were issued a dividend of $0.61 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 19th. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Aflac’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.15%.

Trending Headlines about Aflac

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Aflac partnered with actor Ben Affleck and its iconic duck for a new advertising campaign, including branded billboards and social-media activity in Los Angeles. The campaign could increase consumer awareness and support future policy sales, although its direct financial impact is uncertain. Ben Affleck and the Aflac Duck Unite for New Ad Campaign
• Positive Sentiment: Aflac remains attractive to income-focused and defensive investors. The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.61 per share, equivalent to $2.44 annually, with an approximately 2.1% yield and a payout ratio near 26%. A recent dividend-focused article also recognized Aflac’s long record of annual increases. Safe High-Yield Dividend Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: The Ben Affleck billboard activity appears to be a planned publicity campaign rather than actual vandalism. It may generate short-term brand engagement, but no revenue, earnings guidance or other measurable financial benefit was announced. Ben Affleck Aflac Advertising Campaign
• Negative Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings, a major Aflac shareholder, sold 13,500 shares for approximately $1.58 million on September 2 and has reported several similar sales in recent weeks. The latest transaction reduced its stake by only about 0.03% and was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, limiting its significance, but the repeated selling may create a modest supply overhang. Aflac Major Shareholder SEC Filing

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on AFL shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $99.00 price objective (up from $98.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Mizuho set a $116.00 price objective on Aflac in a report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $122.00 target price on shares of Aflac and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $116.62.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aflac

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Corient Private Wealth LP grew its position in shares of Aflac by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 496,085 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $58,166,000 after buying an additional 34,307 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Aflac by 5.1% during the second quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 884,735 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $103,735,000 after purchasing an additional 42,749 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new stake in Aflac in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,899,000. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake in Aflac by 11,094.0% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 86,458,157 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $10,137,219,000 after purchasing an additional 85,685,796 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Studio Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Aflac by 1.3% in the second quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC now owns 7,650 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $897,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 67.44% of the company’s stock.

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.