Aflac Retained at Neutral - Analyst Blog
November 29 2011 - 11:43AM
Zacks
Recently, we reiterated our recommendation on Aflac
Inc. (AFL) at Neutral, based on the current sustainability
factor. The company’s third quarter operating earnings per share of
$1.66 came in comfortably higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate
of $1.60 and $1.45 reported in the year-ago quarter. Operating
earnings also escalated 13.7% year over year to $778 million.
Growth in the third quarter was supported by higher premium
income, modest investment yields, favourable dollar/yen exchange
rate and improvement in the U.S. operations. However, higher claims
and benefits and higher investment losses due to de-risking
activities partially dampened the positives.
Aflac has been achieving its earnings target for the past 22
years, which is reflected in its consistent dividend increment. The
company’s strong brand name and solid business model enabled it to
improve earnings considerably faster than other life and health
insurers such as Unum Group (UNM) and
Catalyst Health Solutions Inc. (CHSI).
Aflac had been strengthening its Japanese operations regularly,
which also helped itself to survive the catastrophe losses better
than its peers. Japan’s revenues accounted for 83% of the company’s
total revenue in the first nine months of 2011, steadily increasing
from 77% in 2010 and 73% in 2009. Factoring all the growth
prospects, management now expects the earnings growth of 2–5% for
2012, up from the prior expectation of negative growth over
2011.
Optimistic earnings growth outlook is also reflected in Aflac’s
consistent dividend increment and ongoing share repurchase program.
Maintaining this trend, in October 2011, Aflac hiked its
fourth-quarter dividend by 10% to 33 cents per share from 30 cents.
Besides, the company’s investments and cash position is
experiencing a steady growth.
Further, Aflac’s National Association of Insurance Commissioners
(NAIC) risk-based capital ratio was estimated in the range of
500–540% and in the third quarter of 2011, which also reflects its
improved ROE and is impressive given the ongoing de-risking
program.
Meanwhile, Aflac also aims to get rid of its problem investments
in Europe through its proactive de-risking process, which is
expected to last over the next 12 months. We believe Aflac is quite
capable of sustaining losses from these investments. Going ahead,
the strong capital and surplus cash position are expected to
mitigate this balance sheet risk and provide liquidity cushion to
its long-term growth.
However, Aflac continues to be hit by intense economic
volatility, the continued fluctuation of the yen against the
dollar, changes in interest rates, changes in credit spreads and
defaults, market liquidity and declines in equity price.
Despite the fact that Aflac is indulging in de-risking
activities, it is moving toward investments with less risk and
lower yields, which will further lessen investment income.
Moreover, the company’s substantial exposure to European financial
institutions hybrid securities, below-investment-grade debt and
perpetual securities is likely to result in statutory investment
losses and lower reinvestment yields, thereby escalating the
financial and capital risk.
Besides, increasing expenses from operations, benefits and
claims continue to weigh on the margins. Losses from investment
portfolio are also expected to continue to hurt the earnings at
least in the near term, until the markets witness steady recovery.
This is also reflected in management’s estimation of earnings of 8%
from prior 8–12% in 2011.
Based on the above factors, the Zacks Consensus Estimate of
earnings is currently pegged at $1.51 per share, up 14% year over
year, for the fourth quarter of 2011. This is also within
management’s guidance of $1.45–$1.52 per share. Three of the
fifteen firms covering the stock have revised their estimates
upward for the upcoming quarter, while a couple of downward
revisions were witnessed. For 2011, earnings are estimated to be
$6.37 per share, up about 15% year over year.
Additionally, the quantitative Zacks Rank for Aflac is currently
#2, implying a short-term Buy rating. However, long-term stance
remains Neutral.
AFLAC INC (AFL): Free Stock Analysis Report
CATALYST HEALTH (CHSI): Free Stock Analysis Report
UNUM GROUP (UNM): Free Stock Analysis Report
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