Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Stock Gets Price Target Bump from JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) had its price objective lifted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $116.00 to $119.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target would indicate a potential upside of 0.65% from the company’s previous close.

AFL has been the topic of several other research reports. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Aflac from $137.00 to $133.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Raymond James Financial increased their price target on Aflac from $119.00 to $123.00 in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Aflac from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Aflac in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $103.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Evercore lifted their price objective on shares of Aflac from $109.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $117.20.

Aflac Trading Up 0.0%

AFL traded up $0.02 during trading on Thursday, reaching $118.23. 338,325 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,275,690. The company has a current ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Aflac has a one year low of $105.43 and a one year high of $130.22. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $116.63 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $117.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $59.27 billion, a PE ratio of 12.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.56.

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

Insider Activity at Aflac

In related news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 42,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.38, for a total value of $4,887,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 50,302,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,854,256,157.20. The trade was a 0.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 545,051 shares of company stock valued at $63,379,217. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aflac

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Aflac in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Groupe la Francaise bought a new stake in Aflac during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Archer Investment Corp bought a new stake in Aflac during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. acquired a new position in Aflac during the second quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new position in Aflac during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.44% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Aflac

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AM Best affirmed Aflac’s credit ratings and those of its subsidiaries, supporting confidence in the insurer’s balance sheet, claims-paying ability and financial stability. AM Best Affirms Aflac Credit Ratings
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America maintained a Buy rating while reducing its price target from $137 to $133. Although the target was lowered, it remains above recent trading levels and indicates continued expected upside. Bank of America Cuts Aflac Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings, Aflac’s major shareholder, reported additional sales of 12,000 shares on October 9 and 12,200 shares on October 12. The transactions were executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan and reduced its ownership by only about 0.02% per trade, limiting the immediate impact, though the repeated selling may concern investors. Japan Post Holdings Aflac Share Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo lowered its Aflac price target from $122 to $116 while retaining an Equal Weight rating, signaling limited near-term upside at recent levels. Wells Fargo Cuts Aflac Price Target

About Aflac

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.