Aflac Adjusted Earnings Fall 8.5% in Third Quarter to $1.2 Billion
Key Facts
Aflac’s adjusted earnings were about $1.2 billion in the third quarter of 2026, down 8.5% from the same period in 2025, according to the company’s results. Adjusted earnings per diluted share fell 2.4% to $2.43 during the quarter. These figures come against the backdrop of the dividend announcement covered in the story on November 12, 2026. The company announced on November 4 a fourth-quarter 2026 dividend of $0.61 per share. The announcement set the payment date for December 1 for shareholders of record on November 18.
Aflac’s results showed a divergence between adjusted earnings and net earnings in the third quarter. The company reported net earnings of $303 million, or $0.61 per diluted share, compared with $1.6 billion and $3.08 per share a year earlier. The company attributed the difference mainly to realized losses related to portfolio repositioning during the third quarter. Net earnings therefore declined from the corresponding period in 2025, while the drop in adjusted earnings was less pronounced under the measures reported by the company. The comparison reflects the difference between net earnings and adjusted figures in the same period.
Total revenue was $3.3 billion in the third quarter of 2026, versus $4.7 billion in the third quarter of 2025, according to the results statement. The year-over-year decline coincided with a drop in adjusted earnings, which fell from $1.3 billion to $1.2 billion. Adjusted earnings per diluted share also fell to $2.43, down 2.4% year over year. By contrast, the larger decline in net earnings was tied to realized losses that the company said resulted mainly from portfolio repositioning. These indicators put the third-quarter results in the context of the cash dividend announcement for the following period.
In its dividend history, Aflac’s cash dividend history page showed a dividend of $0.61 per share in each of the four quarters of 2026, compared with $0.58 in each of the four quarters of 2025. An earlier step in this trajectory was the first-quarter 2026 dividend, which was $0.61 per share after a 5.2% increase. The company said in its 2025 results announcement that the increase extended its streak of annual dividend increases to 43 years. This record provides historical context for the dividend decision, while the specified fourth-quarter 2026 announcement remains the latest documented date in the available data. The open official announcement did not substantiate the reported claim of an increase in the first-quarter 2027 dividend.
Chief Executive Daniel Amos said in the 2025 results announcement that the company was committed to continuing its record of increases, citing its financial strength. His statement came in the context of the 43-year streak of increases and the decision to raise the first-quarter 2026 dividend by 5.2%. The confirmed fourth-quarter 2026 dividend is $0.61 per share, payable on December 1 to shareholders of record on November 18. Aflac shares closed at $127.11 on November 11, 2026, according to EL7 data. The available data do not attribute the closing share-price movement to a dividend announcement that could not be verified.