Aflac Incorporated Announces 17.9% Increase in the First Quarter 2021 Dividend

PR Newswire

COLUMBUS, Ga., Nov. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) today announced that its Board of Directors has declared the first quarter dividend of $0.33 per share, payable on March 1, 2021, to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 17, 2021. This represents a 17.9% increase over the previously declared fourth quarter dividend.

Commenting on the announcement, Aflac Incorporated Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Daniel P. Amos said: "I am pleased with the Board's action to increase the first quarter 2021 dividend. We treasure our record of 38 consecutive years of dividend increases, and we are looking to reward our shareholders by extending that track record in 2021. We remain committed to maintaining strong capital ratios on behalf of our policyholders and balance this financial strength with a focus on increasing the dividend, repurchasing shares and reinvesting in our business. Our dividend track record is supported by the strength of our capital and cash flows."

ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) is a Fortune 500 company, helping provide protection to more than 50 million people through its subsidiaries in Japan and the U.S., where it is a leading supplemental insurer by paying cash fast when policyholders get sick or injured. For more than six decades, insurance policies of Aflac Incorporated's subsidiaries have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of medical and cancer insurance in Japan, where it insures 1 in 4 households. Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America for 20 consecutive years. For 14 consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2020, Fortune included Aflac Incorporated on its list of World's Most Admired Companies for the 19th time, and Bloomberg added Aflac Incorporated to its Gender-Equality Index, which tracks the financial performance of public companies committed to supporting gender equality through policy development, representation and transparency. To learn how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.com.

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. The company desires 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 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," "may," "should," "estimate," "intends," "projects," "will," "assumes," "potential," "target," "outlook" or similar words as well as specific projections of future results, generally qualify as forward-looking. Aflac undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements.

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:

the effects of COVID-19 and any resulting economic effects and government interventions on the Company's business and financial results
ability to attract and retain qualified sales associates, brokers, employees, and distribution partners
deviations in actual experience from pricing and reserving assumptions
ability to continue to develop and implement improvements in information technology systems
defaults and credit downgrades of investments
exposure to significant interest rate risk
concentration of business in Japan
limited availability of acceptable yen-denominated investments
tax rates applicable to the Company may change
failure to comply with restrictions on policyholder privacy and information security
interruption in telecommunication, information technology and other operational systems, or a failure to maintain the security, confidentiality or privacy of sensitive data residing on such systems
catastrophic events including, but not necessarily limited to, epidemics, pandemics (such as the coronavirus COVID-19), tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, war or other military action, terrorism or other acts of violence, and damage incidental to such events
ability to protect the Aflac brand and the Company's reputation
extensive regulation and changes in law or regulation by governmental authorities
events related to the Japan Post investigation and other matters
competitive environment and ability to anticipate and respond to market trends
difficult conditions in global capital markets and the economy
foreign currency fluctuations in the yen/dollar exchange rate
decline in creditworthiness of other financial institutions
significant valuation judgments in determination of amount of impairments taken on the Company's investments
U.S. tax audit risk related to conversion of the Japan branch to a subsidiary
subsidiaries' ability to pay dividends to the Parent Company
decreases in the Company's financial strength or debt ratings
inherent limitations to risk management policies and procedures
concentration of the Company's investments in any particular single-issuer or sector
differing judgments applied to investment valuations
ability to effectively manage key executive succession
changes in accounting standards
level and outcome of litigation
allegations or determinations of worker misclassification in the United States