Analysts Set Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) PT at $111.36

Shares of Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twelve analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $111.3636.

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Mizuho set a $104.00 price target on Aflac in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on Aflac from $130.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Aflac from $116.00 to $111.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings raised Aflac from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Barclays set a $99.00 target price on Aflac and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th.

Aflac Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AFL opened at $117.28 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $112.17 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $111.53. Aflac has a 1-year low of $96.95 and a 1-year high of $119.81. The firm has a market cap of $59.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by ($0.05). Aflac had a return on equity of 13.88% and a net margin of 25.60%.The company had revenue of $4.24 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.66 earnings per share. Aflac’s revenue was up 27.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Aflac will post 7.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Aflac Dividend Announcement

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

More Aflac News

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks said the accident and health insurance industry remains attractive, citing benefits from rising underwriting exposure and faster digitalization, which is supportive for Aflac and peers. Article: Zacks Industry Outlook Highlights Aflac, Unum, Globe Life, Trupanion and Employers
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s quarterly dividend of $0.61 per share reinforces its appeal to income investors and may help support the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Aflac’s latest earnings call highlighted strength in Japan, suggesting underlying business momentum even though the most recent EPS report missed expectations. Article: Aflac Earnings Call Highlights Japan Surge and Strength
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling has weighed on sentiment, including a recent $4.9 million sale by insiders and additional share sales by major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan. Article: Aflac Insiders Sell US$4.9m Of Stock, Possibly Signalling Caution
• Negative Sentiment: Director Thomas Kenny also sold shares, adding to concerns that insiders may be taking profits after the stock’s recent strength. Article: Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Director Sells $202,831.80 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Investors may also stay cautious because Aflac’s last reported EPS missed analyst estimates, even though revenue came in ahead of expectations.

Insider Buying and Selling at Aflac

In other news, Director Thomas J. Kenny sold 1,740 shares of Aflac stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.57, for a total transaction of $202,831.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 13,219 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,540,938.83. This trade represents a 11.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Arthur Reginald Collins sold 2,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.55, for a total transaction of $268,065.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 6,186 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $720,978.30. The trade was a 27.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 739,815 shares of company stock worth $82,996,891. Insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aflac

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AFL. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Aflac during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Aflac during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC purchased a new stake in Aflac during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Evergreen Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Aflac during the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Navalign LLC purchased a new stake in Aflac during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. 67.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Aflac

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.