COLUMBUS, Ga., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Aflac Incorporated's
board of directors today approved an 18.2% increase in the quarterly cash
dividend from $.11 to $.13 per share. The increase is effective with the
first quarter dividend, which is payable on March 1, 2006, to shareholders of
record at the close of business on February 17, 2006.
The board of directors also authorized the purchase of up to 30 million
shares of its common stock. This authorization is in addition to the 17
million shares that remained under a previous authorization as of December 31,
2005, bringing the total number of shares available for purchase to
approximately 47 million. The company anticipates that the repurchase of
shares will be conducted from time to time in open market or negotiated
transactions, depending on market conditions.
Commenting on the board of directors' actions, Aflac Incorporated Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer Daniel P. Amos stated: "This marks the 24th
consecutive year of cash dividend increases for Aflac Incorporated. I believe
the board's decision to increase the dividend and to authorize additional
shares for repurchase reflects our continued optimism in Aflac's outlook."
For 50 years, Aflac products have given policyholders the opportunity to
direct cash where it is needed most when a life-interrupting medical event
causes financial challenges. Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-
renewable insurance in the United States and the number one insurance company
in terms of individual insurance policies in force in Japan. Aflac's insurance
products provide protection to more than 40 million people worldwide. Aflac
has been included in Fortune magazine's listing of America's Most Admired
Companies and Forbes magazine's Platinum 400 List of America's Best Big
Companies for five consecutive years. In January 2006, Aflac was included in
Fortune magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for
the eighth consecutive year. Aflac was also included in Fortune magazine's
list of the Top 50 Employers for Minorities in August 2005, and in September
2005, Aflac Japan was named the Life Insurance Company of the Year at the Asia
Insurance Industry Awards, sponsored by the Asia Insurance Review. Aflac
Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock
Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit aflac.com.
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. We 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
oral discussions 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," 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.
We caution readers that the following factors, in addition to other
factors mentioned from time to time in our reports filed with the SEC, could
cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the
forward-looking statements: legislative and regulatory developments;
assessments for insurance company insolvencies; competitive conditions in the
United States and Japan; new product development and customer response to new
products and new marketing initiatives; ability to attract and retain
qualified sales associates; ability to repatriate profits from Japan; changes
in U.S. and/or Japanese tax laws or accounting requirements; credit and other
risks associated with Aflac's investment activities; significant changes in
investment yield rates; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates;
deviations in actual experience from pricing and reserving assumptions
including, but not limited to, morbidity, mortality, persistency, expenses,
and investment yields; level and outcome of litigation; downgrades in the
company's credit rating; changes in rating agency policies or practices;
subsidiary's ability to pay dividends to parent company; ineffectiveness of
hedging strategies used to minimize the exposure of our shareholders' equity
to foreign currency translation fluctuations; catastrophic events; and general
economic conditions in the United States and Japan.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041202/CLTH019LOGO)
Analyst and investor contact - Kenneth S. Janke Jr., 800.235.2667 - option
3, FAX: 706.324.6330, or kjanke@aflac.com
Media contact - Laura Kane, 706.596.3493, FAX: 706.320.2288, or
lkane@aflac.com
SOURCE Aflac Incorporated
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Related links:
http://www.aflac.com
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AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Analyst and investors, Kenneth S. Janke Jr.,
+1-800-235-2667 - option 3, or Fax, +1-706-324-6330, or
kjanke@aflac.com, or Media, Laura Kane, +1-706-596-3493, or Fax,
+1-706-320-2288, or lkane@aflac.com, both of Aflac Incorporated
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