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Investing.com - BMO Capital raised its price target on AFLAC (NYSE:AFL) to $105.00 from $102.00 on Wednesday, while maintaining a Market Perform rating on the insurance company’s stock. The new target aligns closely with AFLAC’s current trading price of $105.11, with analyst targets ranging from $99 to $124.
The price target increase reflects BMO’s upward revision of AFLAC’s forward earnings per share (EPS) run-rate by approximately 4% to $6.91 for 2025 and $7.38 for 2026.
The firm attributed these upward revisions to better U.S. segment margins, growth in the Japan segment, stronger net investment income, and higher share repurchases.
BMO Capital introduced a 2027 EPS estimate of $7.62 for AFLAC, representing approximately 3% year-over-year growth, which includes a 2% decline in earnings offset by a 5% benefit from share buybacks.
The new $105 price target is based on BMO’s free cash flow regression analysis and represents approximately 2.0 times adjusted book value excluding accumulated other comprehensive income and about 14.2 times the firm’s 2026 EPS estimate.
In other recent news, Aflac Incorporated reported its second-quarter earnings for 2025, exceeding analysts’ expectations with an adjusted earnings per share of $1.78, compared to the projected $1.70. However, the company’s revenue did not meet forecasts, coming in at $4.16 billion against the expected $4.33 billion. Aflac attributed its strong performance, particularly in Japan, to strategic initiatives that have been well-received by investors. Additionally, Aflac announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the purchase of up to 100 million additional shares of its common stock. This new authorization adds to the 30.9 million shares remaining from its previous authorization in November 2022, bringing the total shares available for repurchase to approximately 130.9 million. The company plans to execute these share repurchases in open market or negotiated transactions, contingent on market conditions. These developments reflect Aflac’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its financial position and shareholder value.
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