With a market cap of $63.4 billion, Aflac Incorporated (AFL) has provided financial protection and peace of mind to millions of policyholders and customers in the U.S. and Japan for more than seven decades. As a leading provider of supplemental health insurance in the U.S. and cancer and medical insurance in Japan, Aflac is recognized for its strong commitment to its customers, ethical business practices, and responsible investment.
Shares of the Columbus, Georgia-based company have lagged behind the broader market over the past 52 weeks. AFL stock has increased 18.3% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has returned 21.3%. Moreover, shares of the company are up 11% on a YTD basis, compared to SPX’s 13.2% gain.
Focusing more closely, shares of Aflac Incorporated have outperformed the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLF) 11.4% rise over the past 52 weeks and 5.4% YTD return.
Aflac’s shares fell 1.6% following its Q2 2026 results on Aug. 6 after the insurer reported weaker-than-expected adjusted EPS of $1.75 and revenue of $4.1 billion. The stronger dollar weighed on earnings, with unfavorable yen/dollar movements reducing adjusted profit by $0.05 per share, while weakness in Japan drove a 12.7% year-over-year decline in net premiums earned to $1.5 billion.
For the fiscal year ending in December 2026, analysts expect Aflac Incorporated’s adjusted EPS to decrease 5.9% year-over-year to $7.05. The company’s earnings surprise history is mixed. It beat the consensus estimates in one of the last four quarters while missing on three other occasions.
Among the 16 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a “Hold.” That’s based on two “Strong Buy” ratings, one “Moderate Buy,” 10 “Holds,” and three “Strong Sells.”
This configuration has remained unchanged over the past three months.
On Jul. 22, TD Cowen raised Aflac’s price target to $110 while maintaining a “Hold” rating.
As of writing, the stock is trading above the mean price target of $118.93. The Street-high price target of $137 suggests a 11.8% potential upside.
On the date of publication, Sohini Mondal did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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