Pacer Advisors Inc. lowered its position in shares of Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL – Free Report) by 29.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 31,622 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 13,423 shares during the quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Aflac were worth $3,469,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Aflac in the first quarter worth about $25,000. Groupe la Francaise acquired a new stake in Aflac in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Aflac during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Aflac during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Evergreen Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Aflac in the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. 67.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Key Stories Impacting Aflac
Here are the key news stories impacting Aflac this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Aflac reported quarterly revenue of approximately $4.12 billion, narrowly exceeding analysts’ expectations of $4.11 billion. The company also declared its third-quarter dividend, supporting the stock’s income appeal. Aflac Incorporated Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results, Declares Third Quarter Dividend
- Neutral Sentiment: Aflac generated a 25.60% net margin and 13.88% return on equity during the quarter, indicating continued profitability, although revenue declined about 1% from the prior-year period. Aflac Quarterly Results
- Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter earnings were $1.75 per share, below analyst estimates ranging from $1.76 to $1.79 and down from $1.78 a year earlier. The results were characterized as a double miss in some reports because revenue growth also remained weak. Aflac Q2 Earnings Lag Estimates
- Negative Sentiment: A stronger U.S. dollar pressured reported results, particularly given Aflac’s international operations. Currency headwinds may continue to create volatility in earnings and reduce the benefit of otherwise stable underlying business trends. Insurer Aflac Misses Quarterly Profit Estimates on Stronger Dollar
- Negative Sentiment: Recent ownership data shows substantially more institutional reductions than additions, while reported insider activity has consisted entirely of sales over the past six months. These signals may add pressure to investor sentiment, although they are less immediate than the earnings miss.
Aflac Trading Up 0.7%
Aflac (NYSE:AFL – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by ($0.01). Aflac had a net margin of 25.60% and a return on equity of 13.88%. The firm had revenue of $4.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.11 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.78 earnings per share. Aflac’s quarterly revenue was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Aflac Incorporated will post 7.06 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Buying and Selling at Aflac
In other news, major shareholder Post Holdings Co. Ltd. Japan sold 63,000 shares of the business’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 sale, the insider owned 51,169,435 shares in the company, valued at $6,044,133,662.20. The trade was a 0.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 744,073 shares of company stock valued at $87,022,570 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
AFL has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Aflac from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Aflac from $111.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and issued a $108.00 price target (up from $100.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Aflac from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $124.00 price objective (up from $114.00) on shares of Aflac in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $116.17.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Aflac
About Aflac
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.
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