Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Major Shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan Sells 13,200 Shares of Stock

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,200 shares of Aflac stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.35, for a total transaction of $1,549,020.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 50,752,390 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,955,792,966.50. The trade was a 0.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at 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, 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 stock was 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 value 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 value of $1,486,535.00.
• On Tuesday, August 18th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 14,200 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.94, for a total value of $1,731,548.00.
• On Monday, August 17th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,900 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.33, for a total value of $1,686,487.00.
• On Friday, August 14th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 14,100 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.43, for a total value of $1,712,163.00.
• On Thursday, August 13th, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,000 shares of Aflac stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.09, for a total transaction of $1,574,170.00.
• On Monday, June 22nd, Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 27,845 shares of Aflac stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.71, for a total transaction of $3,249,789.95.

Aflac Price Performance

NYSE:AFL traded up $0.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $116.59. 206,710 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,313,152. 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 company has a market cap of $58.45 billion, a PE ratio of 12.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.60. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $121.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is $116.21. Aflac Incorporated has a 1 year low of $104.66 and a 1 year high of $130.22.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) last announced 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.11 billion. Aflac had a net margin of 26.91% and a return on equity of 13.27%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.78 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.04 EPS for the current year.

Aflac Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on AFL shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $124.00 price objective (up from $114.00) on shares of Aflac in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $108.00 price objective (up from $100.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Barclays restated an “underweight” rating and issued a $99.00 target price (up from $98.00) on shares of Aflac in a report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $122.00 price target on shares of Aflac and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $116.62.

Institutional Trading of Aflac

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AFL. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Aflac during the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. Groupe la Francaise acquired a new position in Aflac during the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in Aflac during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Archer Investment Corp purchased a new position in Aflac during the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. purchased a new position in Aflac during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Hedge funds and other 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.