Aflac Incorporated Announces First Quarter 2026 Results

About this update from Aflac Incorporated

COLUMBUS, Ga. , April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) today reported its first quarter results. For the Quarter Commenting on the company's results, Aflac Incorporated Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Daniel P. Amos stated: "Aflac delivered solid earnings for the quarter. These results reflect our focused execution of our strategy and thus creating long-term value for shareholders. We have attracted new business through successful product initiatives, including Anshin Palette (medical insurance), Miraito (cancer insurance), and Tsumitasu (life insurance) in Japan and group voluntary benefits, network dental and vision, as well as group life and disability in the U.S. "We remain focused on more profitable growth and the tactical, opportunistic deployment of capital. We treasure our 2025 milestone of 43 consecutive years of dividend increases, and the Board has set us on a path to extend this record when it increased the first quarter dividend 5.2% and declared the same dividend of $0.61 for the second quarter. We intend to continue our balanced approach of investing in growth and driving long-term value." AFLAC INCORPORATED CONSOLIDATED RESULTS Total revenues were $4.3 billion in the first quarter of 2026, compared with $3.4 billion in the first quarter of 2025. Net earnings were $1.0 billion, or $1.98 per diluted share, compared with $29 million, or $0.05 per diluted share a year ago. Net earnings in the first quarter of 2026 included net investment gains of $49 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, compared with net investment losses of $963 million, or $1.76 per diluted share a year ago. These net investment gains were driven by net gains of $164 million on certain derivatives and foreign currency activities offset by $61 million of current expected credit losses (CECL), impairments of $24 million; net losses from sales and redemptions of $16 million; and a $14 million loss from a decrease in the fair value of equity securities. Adjusted earnings* in the first quarter were $901 million, compared with $906 million in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting a decrease of 0.6%. Adjusted earnings per diluted share* increased 5.4% to $1.75 in the quarter. Variable investment income ran $14 million below the company's long-term return expectations. The average yen/dollar exchange rate in the first quarter of 2026 was 156.87, or 2.8% weaker than the average rate of 152.40 in the first quarter of 2025. The weaker yen/dollar exchange rate had a negative $0.02 impact on adjusted earnings per share. Shareholders' equity was $30.0 billion, or $58.69 per share, at March 31, 2026, compared with $26.3 billion, or $48.55 per share, at March 31, 2025. Shareholders' equity at the end of the first quarter included a cumulative increase of $9.5 billion for the effect of the change in discount rate assumptions on insurance reserves, compared with a corresponding cumulative increase of $3.9 billion at March 31, 2025 and a net unrealized loss on investment securities and derivatives of $2.7 billion, compared with a net unrealized loss of $1.3 billion at March 31, 2025. Shareholders' equity at the end of the first quarter also included an unrealized foreign currency translation loss of $5.0 billion, compared with an unrealized foreign currency translation loss of $4.5 billion at March 31, 2025. Shareholders' equity excluding AOCI (or adjusted book value*) was $28.1 billion, or $54.96 per share at March 31, 2026, compared with $28.2 billion, or $51.98 per share, at March 31, 2025. Adjusted book value excluding foreign currency remeasurement* was $21.8 billion, or $42.71 per share at March 31, 2026, compared with $23.1 billion, or $42.61 per share, at March 31, 2025. The annualized adjusted return on equity excluding foreign currency remeasurement* in the first quarter was 16.4%. AFLAC JAPAN In yen terms, Aflac Japan's net earned premiums were ¥246.7 billion for the quarter, or 3.8% lower than a year ago, mainly due to the impact of a new external reinsurance transaction for WAYS and Tsumitasu as well as limited pay products reaching paid-up status. Adjusted net investment income increased 4.0% to ¥92.8 billion, primarily due to higher dollar-denominated fixed-rate income resulting from higher volume and higher variable net investment income. This was partially offset by lower dollar-denominated floating rate income due to lower volume and rates as well as reduced call income. Total adjusted revenues in yen declined 1.7% to ¥340.7 billion. Pretax adjusted earnings in yen for the quarter increased 8.3% on a reported basis to ¥119.1 billion, primarily driven by favorable benefits. Pretax adjusted earnings also increased 6.6% on a currency-neutral basis. The pretax adjusted profit margin for the Japan segment was 35.0%, compared with 31.8% a year ago. In dollar terms, net earned premiums decreased 6.4% to $1.6 billion in the first quarter. Adjusted net investment income increased 0.9% to $591 million. Total adjusted revenues declined by 4.4% to $2.2 billion. Pretax adjusted earnings increased 5.1% to $759 million. For the quarter, total new annualized premium sales (sales) increased 25.5% to ¥17.7 billion, or $113 million, primarily reflecting strong sales of Anshin Palette, the new medical insurance product launched in December, as well as Miraito , the newest cancer insurance product, and Tsumitasu . AFLAC U.S. Aflac U.S. net earned premiums increased 3.5% to $1.6 billion in the first quarter compared to the prior year, reflecting improved sales and continued strong persistency. Adjusted net investment income decreased 0.5% to $201 million. Total adjusted revenues were up 3.4% to $1.8 billion. Pretax adjusted earnings were $363 million, 1.4% higher than a year ago. The pretax adjusted profit margin for the U.S. segment was 20.4%, compared with 20.8% a year ago. Aflac U.S. sales increased 2.9% in the quarter to $318 million, primarily benefiting from sales of group products. CORPORATE AND OTHER For the quarter, corporate and other reported breakeven pretax adjusted earnings, down from a $43 million gain last year, driven by lower net investment income from reduced hedge benefits, higher interest expense and operating costs, and runoff impacts from closed blocks of business. *See Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Measures section for an explanation of foreign exchange and its impact on the financial statements and definitions of the non-U.S. GAAP financial measures used in this earnings release, as well as a reconciliation of such non-U.S. GAAP financial measures to the most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures. ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for more than seven decades to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Japan. In the U.S., Aflac is the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance products. 1 In Japan, Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance in terms of policies in force. 2 The company takes pride in being there for its policyholders when they need us most, as well as being included in the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for 20 consecutive years (2026) and Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies for 25 years (2026). In addition, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2021. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol. Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability at investors.aflac.com under "Sustainability." A copy of Aflac's financial supplement for the quarter can be found on the "Investors" page at aflac.com. Aflac Incorporated will webcast its quarterly conference call via the "Investors" page of aflac.com at 8:00 a.m. (ET) on April 30, 2026. Note: Tables within this document may not foot due to rounding.   NON-U.S. GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES This document includes references to the Company's financial performance measures which are not calculated in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP) (non-U.S. GAAP). The financial measures exclude items that the Company believes may obscure the underlying fundamentals and trends in insurance operations because they tend to be driven by general economic conditions and events or related to infrequent activities not directly associated with insurance operations. Due to the size of Aflac Japan, where the functional currency is the Japanese yen, fluctuations in the yen/dollar exchange rate can have a significant effect on reported results. In periods when the Japanese yen weakens, translating Japanese yen into U.S. dollars results in fewer U.S. dollars being reported. When the Japanese yen strengthens, translating Japanese yen into U.S. dollars results in more U.S. dollars being reported. Consequently, Japanese yen weakening has the effect of suppressing current period results in relation to the comparable prior period, while Japanese yen strengthening has the effect of magnifying current period results in relation to the comparable prior period. A significant portion of the Company's business is conducted in Japanese yen and never converted into U.S. dollars but translated into U.S. dollars for U.S. GAAP reporting purposes, which results in foreign currency impact to earnings, cash flows and book value on a U.S. GAAP basis. Management evaluates the Company's financial performance both including and excluding the impact of foreign currency translation to monitor, respectively, cumulative currency impacts and the currency-neutral operating performance over time. The average yen/dollar exchange rate is based on the published MUFG Bank, Ltd. telegraphic transfer middle rate (TTM). The company defines the non-U.S. GAAP financial measures included in this earnings release as follows:           GLOSSARY OF OPERATIONAL MEASURES The Company defines the operational measures included in this document as follows: FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" to encourage companies to provide prospective information, so long as those informational statements are identified as forward-looking and are accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements. Aflac Incorporated (the Parent Company) and its subsidiaries (collectively with the Parent Company, the Company) desire to take advantage of these provisions. This document contains cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected herein, and in any other statements made by Company officials in communications with the financial community and contained in documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Forward-looking statements are not based on historical information and relate to future operations, strategies, financial results or other developments. Furthermore, forward-looking information is subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties. In particular, statements containing words such as "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "goal," "objective," "strategy," "may," "should," "estimate," "intend," "project," "future," "will," "assume," "potential," "target," "outlook," "continue" or similar words as well as specific projections of future results, generally qualify as forward-looking. The Company undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. The Company cautions readers that the following factors, in addition to other factors mentioned from time to time, could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements: Analyst and investor contact - David A. Young, 706.596.3264; 800.235.2667 or [email protected] Media contact - Ines Gutzmer, 762.207.7601 or [email protected]   View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aflac-incorporated-announces-first-quarter-2026-results-302757880.html

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