Aflac (NYSE:AFL) Given “Market Perform” Rating at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed their market perform rating on shares of Aflac (NYSE:AFL) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $113.00 price target on the financial services provider’s stock.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on AFL. Wall Street Zen cut Aflac from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Barclays set a $101.00 price objective on Aflac and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $119.00 target price (up from $110.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Aflac in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Aflac from $101.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $112.00.

Aflac Stock Up 0.9%

AFL stock opened at $108.13 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $111.19 and its 200 day moving average price is $110.33. Aflac has a 52 week low of $96.95 and a 52 week high of $119.32. The company has a market cap of $55.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.72, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 0.66.

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $1.57 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.69 by ($0.12). The firm had revenue of $4.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.45 billion. Aflac had a return on equity of 14.35% and a net margin of 21.24%.The business’s revenue was down 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.57 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Aflac will post 6.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 19,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.96, for a total transaction of $2,141,528.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 52,241,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,796,716,840. The trade was a 0.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Charles D. Lake II sold 15,590 shares of Aflac stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.93, for a total transaction of $1,713,808.70. Following the sale, the director directly owned 62,237 shares in the company, valued at $6,841,713.41. This trade represents a 20.03% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 220,877 shares of company stock worth $24,170,256. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aflac

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AFL. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Aflac by 13.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 57,142,072 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $6,301,056,000 after acquiring an additional 6,759,169 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Aflac in the second quarter valued at about $432,201,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Aflac by 1,184.5% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,264,090 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $141,199,000 after buying an additional 1,165,676 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in shares of Aflac by 390.7% in the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,111,711 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $122,588,000 after acquiring an additional 885,141 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Aflac by 132.4% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,227,200 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $137,078,000 after acquiring an additional 699,080 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.44% of the company’s stock.

Key Aflac News

Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Keefe Bruyette & Woods re‑initiated coverage on Aflac with a Market Perform rating and a $113 price target — a small analyst‑driven tailwind given that the PT sits above recent trade and may support buying interest. KBW Starts Aflac at Market Perform
• Neutral Sentiment: Aflac signed an NIL marketing deal with South Carolina guard Raven Johnson — positive for brand visibility in the U.S. but unlikely to materially affect near‑term financials. Aflac NIL Deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer/financial commentary pieces (e.g., budgeting advice referencing Aflac) are appearing but are informational rather than company‑moving. Budgeting Article
• Negative Sentiment: Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan — a major shareholder — has been steadily selling Aflac shares across multiple days in March (small percentage reductions but sizable dollar amounts), which can pressure sentiment and weigh on the stock if the selling continues. Insider Selling by Post Holdings
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results (Feb. 4) showed EPS in line with last year but below consensus and revenue declined ~9.6% year‑over‑year — fundamentals that cap upside and keep analyst sentiment mixed. Aflac Earnings and Stats

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.