Aflac Incorporated AFL is strengthening its position in workplace benefits as its products become easier to configure and deploy through bswift’s new AI-powered carrier configuration tools. Aflac is the exclusive launch partner for the capabilities, which are designed to simplify the addition, switching and updating of benefit plans on bswift’s platform.
The tools allow channel partners to upload carrier-specific plan documents, while bswift’s Emma Intelligence technology automatically configures plans, rates and rules for human review. This can reduce the manual effort involved in translating complex benefit documents into system-ready configurations while improving consistency and accuracy. The capability is particularly relevant for voluntary benefits, where eligibility requirements and plan structures can vary considerably.
For Aflac, easier configuration could support the distribution of its supplemental and voluntary benefits products across employer channels. Reducing administrative hurdles may make it easier for brokers and other partners to implement Aflac offerings, potentially improving the overall experience for employers and employees. The move also comes as insurers increasingly use technology to simplify benefits administration and strengthen digital distribution.
The partnership could complement AFL’s broader efforts to strengthen digital integration across workplace benefits and expand access to its products. While the new tools are unlikely to materially affect financial results immediately, wider adoption could support longer-term distribution efficiency.
Along with that, bswift’s plans to extend the carrier configuration capabilities to additional insurers also could increase the value of the platform over time. For AFL, being the initial carrier partner gives the company an opportunity to help shape a technology designed around its product structures. Greater use of AI in benefits administration may eventually make simpler implementation an additional differentiator for insurers competing for employer and broker relationships.
AFL’s Price Performance
In the year-to-date period, Aflac’s shares have risen 3% compared with the industry’s growth of 5.2%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AFL’s Zacks Rank & Key Picks
AFL currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the insurance space are Horace Mann Educators Corporation HMN, American Integrity Insurance Group, Inc. AII and Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. HRTG, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Horace Mann Educators’ current-year earnings is pinned at $4.78 per share and has witnessed two upward revisions in the past 60 days against no movement in the opposite direction. HMN beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 30.8%. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $1.8 billion, implying 3.9% year-over-year growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for American Integrity Insurance’s current-year earnings is pinned at $3.82 per share and has witnessed four upward revisions in the past 60 days against no movement in the opposite direction. AII beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 46.6%. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $420.3 million, implying 52.3% year-over-year growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Heritage Insurance Holdings’ current-year earnings is pinned at $5.50 per share and has witnessed two upward revisions in the past 60 days against no movement in the opposite direction. HRTG beat earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise being 81.5%. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $861 billion, implying 1.6% year-over-year growth.
Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners, but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like D-Wave Quantum, which shot up +680.1%.
Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Aflac Incorporated (AFL): Free Stock Analysis Report
Horace Mann Educators Corporation (HMN): Free Stock Analysis Report
Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. (HRTG): Free Stock Analysis Report
American Integrity Insurance Group, Inc. (AII): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).