Mystic Asset Management Inc. Makes New Investment in Aflac Incorporated $AFL

Mystic Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 14,234 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,669,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of AFL. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Aflac in the first quarter worth $25,000. Groupe la Francaise purchased a new stake in shares of Aflac during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac in the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.44% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on AFL shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Aflac from $117.00 to $116.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $122.00 price target on Aflac and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $124.00 price target (up from $114.00) on shares of Aflac in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Aflac from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. Finally, Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Aflac in a research note on Wednesday. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $103.00 target price for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Aflac currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $116.62.

Key Stories Impacting Aflac

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Aflac continues to offer a defensive income profile, with 43 consecutive years of dividend increases. The company raised its quarterly dividend by 5.2% earlier this year, bringing the annualized payout to $2.44 per share and the yield to roughly 2.1%. This Dividend Stock Has a Realistic Shot at Becoming a Dividend King
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent quarterly results were mixed: earnings per share of $1.75 narrowly missed estimates, while $4.22 billion in revenue exceeded forecasts. However, revenue declined 1% year over year and EPS fell from $1.78 in the prior-year period, limiting the earnings-related support for the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research began coverage at “underperform” with a $103 target, citing a valuation or outlook that appears less attractive than other analysts’ views. The target is below Aflac’s 200-day moving average and the current consensus target near $116. Wolfe Research Starts Aflac at Underperform
• Negative Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings, a major Aflac shareholder, disclosed several sales totaling about 42,000 shares during August 14–18, including a $1.73 million sale on August 18. The transactions were executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan and reduced its position by only about 0.03%, so the direct supply impact is limited, but the repeated selling may weigh on sentiment. Major AFLAC Stakeholder Makes Bold Move With High-Value Stock Sale

Aflac Stock Performance

Shares of AFL opened at $116.16 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a current ratio of 0.12. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $121.58 and a two-hundred day moving average of $116.12. The stock has a market cap of $58.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.60. Aflac Incorporated has a one year low of $104.66 and a one year high of $130.22.

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

Aflac Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 19th will be issued a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 19th. Aflac’s dividend payout ratio is 26.15%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Aflac news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 63,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.12, for a total transaction of $7,441,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 51,169,435 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,044,133,662.20. This trade represents a 0.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 484,925 shares of company stock valued at $56,869,948. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Aflac 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.