Aflac (AFL) reported $4.24 billion in revenue for the quarter ended March 2026, representing a year-over-year decline of 1.8%. EPS of $1.75 for the same period compares to $1.66 a year ago.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.33 billion, representing a surprise of -2.05%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -2.89%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $1.80.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.
Here is how Aflac performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Total Benefit /Premium - Aflac Japan: 62.9% versus the three-analyst average estimate of 62.4%. Total Adjusted Expenses/Total Adjusted Revenue - Aflac U.S.: 38.3% versus 36.8% estimated by three analysts on average. Total Benefit /Premium - Aflac U.S.: 47.2% compared to the 49.4% average estimate based on three analysts. Total Adjusted Expenses/Total Adjusted Revenue - Aflac Japan: 19.5% versus the three-analyst average estimate of 20%. Total adjusted revenues- Aflac U.S.: $1.78 billion compared to the $1.77 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +3.4% year over year. Total adjusted revenues- Aflac Japan: $2.17 billion compared to the $2.27 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -4.4% year over year. Total adjusted revenues- Aflac U.S.- Total net earned premiums: $1.56 billion versus $1.55 billion estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +3.5% change. Total adjusted revenues- Aflac Japan- Other income: $8 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $7.63 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +60%. Revenues- Other income (loss): $31 million versus $27.72 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +24% change. Revenues- Net investment income: $956 million compared to the $911.96 million average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +0.1% year over year. Revenues- Total net earned premiums: $3.31 billion versus $3.26 billion estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -2.1% change. Total adjusted revenues- Corporate and other: $292 million compared to the $332 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -10.4% year over year.View all Key Company Metrics for Aflac here>>>
Shares of Aflac have returned +6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +12.2% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).