Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Price Target Raised to $118.00 at Wells Fargo & Company

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) had its price target upped by Wells Fargo & Company from $109.00 to $118.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an equal weight rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Aflac from $101.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Barclays set a $101.00 price objective on shares of Aflac and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b+)” rating on shares of Aflac in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Mizuho set a $107.00 target price on shares of Aflac in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Evercore increased their price target on shares of Aflac from $110.00 to $111.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Aflac has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $111.73.

Aflac Stock Down 0.0%

AFL opened at $112.44 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $111.40 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $109.90. Aflac has a 52 week low of $96.95 and a 52 week high of $119.32. The company has a market capitalization of $58.93 billion, a PE ratio of 16.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.69 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 0.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $1.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.69 by ($0.12). Aflac had a return on equity of 14.35% and a net margin of 21.24%.The firm had revenue of $4.28 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.45 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Aflac will post 6.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Aflac

In other news, EVP Steven Kent Beaver sold 7,387 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.58, for a total value of $839,015.46. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 40,526 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,602,943.08. This represents a 15.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders sold a total of 16,331 shares of company stock worth $1,817,720 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Aflac

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. ProShare Advisors LLC increased its position in Aflac by 10.4% during the 3rd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 1,731,482 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $193,407,000 after purchasing an additional 163,791 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its stake in Aflac by 3.8% in the third quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,768,705 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $196,662,000 after buying an additional 65,308 shares in the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in Aflac by 126.1% during the third quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 21,345 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,384,000 after buying an additional 11,903 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its position in Aflac by 12.0% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 97,344 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $10,841,000 after acquiring an additional 10,423 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its position in Aflac by 31.0% during the 3rd quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 55,022 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $6,146,000 after acquiring an additional 13,017 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.44% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Aflac

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade/target lift — Wells Fargo raised its price target on AFL from $109 to $118 and kept an “equal weight” rating, signaling modest upside potential relative to the stock’s level and providing support for the share price. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend/AI narrative — Coverage in Forbes highlights the stock in lists of high-yield names and ties Aflac to AI/automation themes, which can attract income-seeking and thematic investors looking for yield plus growth exposure. This Stock Pays A ‘Secret’ 8%+ Dividend (And Cashes In On AI)
• Positive Sentiment: Brand/marketing boost — Aflac was named lead jersey partner for Atlanta’s new women’s soccer club, a consumer-facing sponsorship that can help brand recognition and distribution over time (limited near-term financial impact). Aflac named lead jersey partner for Atlanta’s new women’s soccer club
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector comparison & Q4 reviews — Recent roundups compare Aflac’s Q4 results and valuation versus peers; these pieces provide context for investors but don’t add a new catalyst. Q4 Rundown: Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Vs Other Life Insurance Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/opinion pieces urge reassessment — Coverage asking whether to reassess AFL after recent weakness may increase trading volume as investors debate outlook, but is not a direct buy/sell signal. Is It Time To Reassess Aflac (AFL) After Its Recent Share Price Weakness?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — EVP Steven Kent Beaver sold 7,387 shares at an average $113.58 (~$839k), reducing his holding by ~15%. Insider sales can be interpreted as a slight negative signal about near-term executive conviction. Insider Selling: Aflac (NYSE:AFL) EVP Sells 7,387 Shares of Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Prior quarterly weakness — The company’s Feb. 4 quarter showed an EPS miss and year-over-year revenue decline, which still weighs on sentiment and helps explain recent share-price softness. MarketBeat coverage of Q4 results

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.