Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Stock Price Target Cut by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) had its price target reduced by equities research analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $125.00 to $120.00 in a report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “market perform” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ price target points to a potential upside of 4.59% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company set a $122.00 price target on Aflac and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Aflac from $117.00 to $116.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Aflac from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Aflac from $116.00 to $107.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Aflac from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $115.77.

Aflac Trading Down 0.2%

NYSE:AFL traded down $0.21 on Friday, hitting $114.73. The stock had a trading volume of 435,633 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,291,762. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $117.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $116.84. Aflac has a 1-year low of $105.43 and a 1-year high of $130.22. The company has a quick ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock has a market cap of $57.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.30, a PEG ratio of 1.82 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 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.76 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $4.22 billion for 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 quarterly revenue was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.78 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Aflac will post 7.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Aflac news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 13,050 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.49, for a total value of $1,481,044.50. Following the sale, the insider owned 50,394,140 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,719,230,948.60. This trade represents a 0.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders sold 453,851 shares of company stock worth $52,859,797. 0.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aflac

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. acquired a new position in Aflac during the second quarter worth about $6,630,000. Atlas Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,802,000. Callan Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Aflac during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,546,000. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of Aflac by 137.4% during the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 40,904 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,796,000 after acquiring an additional 23,677 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in shares of Aflac by 135.5% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 142,180 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $15,599,000 after acquiring an additional 81,803 shares during the period. 67.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Aflac News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Aflac is expanding its benefits technology through bswift’s AI-powered carrier configuration tools. The platform is designed to simplify workplace-benefit plan setup and improve access to Aflac’s voluntary insurance products. While the initiative could improve distribution efficiency and support longer-term growth, no immediate financial benefit was disclosed. bswift launches AI-powered carrier configuration tools
• Neutral Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered its Aflac price target to $120 from $125. The adjustment indicates more limited upside, although the firm’s rating and underlying view were not identified in the report. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods adjusts Aflac price target
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho issued a more pessimistic outlook, cutting its Aflac target to $107 from $116 and maintaining an Underperform rating. The new target implies downside from recent levels and is likely adding pressure to the shares. Mizuho issues pessimistic forecast for Aflac
• Negative Sentiment: Japan Post Holdings Co. Ltd. sold another 13,050 Aflac shares for approximately $1.48 million. The sale was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan and reduced its ownership by only 0.03%, limiting the fundamental significance. However, repeated sales by a major shareholder may create a modest supply overhang and weigh on sentiment. Japan Post Holdings sells Aflac shares
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst caution follows Aflac’s latest quarterly results. The company narrowly missed consensus EPS estimates, while revenue declined 1% year over year. Although revenue exceeded expectations and profitability remained strong, the results provide limited support for a significant near-term re-rating.

Aflac Company Profile

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.