Aflac Barely Moves After Q4 Earnings Beat

shares are remaining fairly quiet in after hours trading after the company announced its fourth quarter results. The firm reported a Q4 EPS of $1.45 versus the Street estimate of $1.39. Revenue arrived at $5.8 billion versus the Street estimate of $5.91 billion. "We are very pleased with Aflac's financial performance for both the quarter and year," Daniel P. Amos, Aflac's Chairman and CEO, said in a

. "As the year progressed, operating earnings per diluted share were better than expected, and we finished the year slightly ahead of our expectation for operating earnings to increase 5%, excluding the impact of the yen." Amos went on to say that Aflac Japan has produced "solid results" for both the quarter and the year. He said that sales of Aflac's liquid sector products were at the "high end of our sales target range in 2013, primarily reflecting a positive response to our EVER medical product and the advertising we created to promote it." "Consistent with our expectations, Aflac Japan's new annualized premium sales in the fourth quarter and for the year were down significantly following the repricing of first sector products in April," he said. "However, we remain pleased with our expanded distribution system. Our agreement with Japan Post Holdings, which was announced in July 2013, further demonstrates the overall strength of the Aflac brand, our reputation for quality customer service, and the value our products provide." Year-to-date, Aflac has fallen nearly eight percent (as of market close on Monday, February 3, 2014). Up until now, the stock had experienced a fairly steady growth spurt that helped Aflac rise more than 14 percent over the last 12 months. Disclosure: