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Aflac (BSP:A1FL34) Beneish M-Score : -2.48 (As of Apr. 01, 2025)


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What is Aflac Beneish M-Score?

Note: Financial institutions were excluded from the sample in Beneish paper when calculating Beneish M-Score. Thus, the prediction might not fit banks and insurance companies.

The zones of discrimination for M-Score is as such:

An M-Score of equal or less than -1.78 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.
An M-Score of greater than -1.78 signals that the company is likely to be a manipulator.

Good Sign:

Beneish M-Score -2.48 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

The historical rank and industry rank for Aflac's Beneish M-Score or its related term are showing as below:

BSP:A1FL34' s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -2.81   Med: -2.59   Max: -2.15
Current: -2.48

During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of Aflac was -2.15. The lowest was -2.81. And the median was -2.59.


Aflac Beneish M-Score Calculation

The M-score was created by Professor Messod Beneish. Instead of measuring the bankruptcy risk (Altman Z-Score) or business trend (Piotroski F-Score), M-score can be used to detect the risk of earnings manipulation. This is the original research paper on M-score.

The M-Score Variables:

The M-score of Aflac for today is based on a combination of the following eight different indices:

M=-4.84+0.92 * DSRI+0.528 * GMI+0.404 * AQI+0.892 * SGI+0.115 * DEPI
=-4.84+0.92 * 0.9049+0.528 * 1+0.404 * 1.0002+0.892 * 1.2641+0.115 * 1
-0.172 * SGAI+4.679 * TATA-0.327 * LVGI
-0.172 * 1+4.679 * 0.022421-0.327 * 1.0975
=-2.26

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

This Year (Dec24) TTM:Last Year (Dec23) TTM:
Total Receivables was R$4,753 Mil.
Revenue was R$116,700 Mil.
Gross Profit was R$116,700 Mil.
Total Current Assets was R$0 Mil.
Total Assets was R$717,270 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was R$2,361 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was R$0 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was R$0 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was R$0 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was R$45,745 Mil.
Net Income was R$33,208 Mil.
Gross Profit was R$610 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was R$16,515 Mil.
Total Receivables was R$4,155 Mil.
Revenue was R$92,317 Mil.
Gross Profit was R$92,317 Mil.
Total Current Assets was R$0 Mil.
Total Assets was R$620,922 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was R$2,180 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was R$0 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was R$0 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was R$0 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was R$36,082 Mil.




1. DSRI = Days Sales in Receivables Index

Measured as the ratio of Revenue in Total Receivables in year t to year t-1.

A large increase in DSR could be indicative of revenue inflation.

DSRI=(Receivables_t / Revenue_t) / (Receivables_t-1 / Revenue_t-1)
=(4752.679 / 116699.928) / (4155.03 / 92317.132)
=0.040726 / 0.045008
=0.9049

2. GMI = Gross Margin Index

Measured as the ratio of gross margin in year t-1 to gross margin in year t.

Gross margin has deteriorated when this index is above 1. A firm with poorer prospects is more likely to manipulate earnings.

GMI=GrossMargin_t-1 / GrossMargin_t
=(GrossProfit_t-1 / Revenue_t-1) / (GrossProfit_t / Revenue_t)
=(92317.132 / 92317.132) / (116699.928 / 116699.928)
=1 / 1
=1

3. AQI = Asset Quality Index

AQI is the ratio of asset quality in year t to year t-1.

Asset quality is measured as the ratio of non-current assets other than Property, Plant and Equipment to Total Assets.

AQI=(1 - (CurrentAssets_t + PPE_t) / TotalAssets_t) / (1 - (CurrentAssets_t-1 + PPE_t-1) / TotalAssets_t-1)
=(1 - (0 + 2361.087) / 717270.166) / (1 - (0 + 2180.411) / 620922.255)
=0.996708 / 0.996488
=1.0002

4. SGI = Sales Growth Index

Ratio of Revenue in year t to sales in year t-1.

Sales growth is not itself a measure of manipulation. However, growth companies are likely to find themselves under pressure to manipulate in order to keep up appearances.

SGI=Sales_t / Sales_t-1
=Revenue_t / Revenue_t-1
=116699.928 / 92317.132
=1.2641

5. DEPI = Depreciation Index

Measured as the ratio of the rate of Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization in year t-1 to the corresponding rate in year t.

DEPI greater than 1 indicates that assets are being depreciated at a slower rate. This suggests that the firm might be revising useful asset life assumptions upwards, or adopting a new method that is income friendly.

DEPI=(Depreciation_t-1 / (Depreciaton_t-1 + PPE_t-1)) / (Depreciation_t / (Depreciaton_t + PPE_t))
=(0 / (0 + 2180.411)) / (0 / (0 + 2361.087))
=0 / 0
=1

Note: If the Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization data is not available, we assume that the depreciation rate is constant and set the Depreciation Index to 1.

6. SGAI = Sales, General and Administrative expenses Index

The ratio of Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) to Sales in year t relative to year t-1.

SGA expenses index > 1 means that the company is becoming less efficient in generate sales.

SGAI=(SGA_t / Sales_t) / (SGA_t-1 /Sales_t-1)
=(0 / 116699.928) / (0 / 92317.132)
=0 / 0
=1

7. LVGI = Leverage Index

The ratio of total debt to Total Assets in year t relative to yeat t-1.

An LVGI > 1 indicates an increase in leverage

LVGI=((LTD_t + CurrentLiabilities_t) / TotalAssets_t) / ((LTD_t-1 + CurrentLiabilities_t-1) / TotalAssets_t-1)
=((45745.298 + 0) / 717270.166) / ((36082.127 + 0) / 620922.255)
=0.063777 / 0.058111
=1.0975

8. TATA = Total Accruals to Total Assets

Total accruals calculated as the change in working capital accounts other than cash less depreciation.

TATA=(IncomefromContinuingOperations_t - CashFlowsfromOperations_t) / TotalAssets_t
=(NetIncome_t - NonOperatingIncome_t - CashFlowsfromOperations_t) / TotalAssets_t
=(33207.743 - 610.1 - 16515.407) / 717270.166
=0.022421

An M-Score of equal or less than -1.78 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator. An M-Score of greater than -1.78 signals that the company is likely to be a manipulator.

Aflac has a M-score of -2.26 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.


Aflac Business Description

Address
1932 Wynnton Road, Columbus, GA, USA, 31999
Aflac Inc offers supplemental health insurance and life insurance in the United States and Japan. In addition to its cancer policies, the company has broadened its product offerings to include accident, dental and vision, disability, and long-term-care insurance. It markets its products through independent distributors, selling the majority of its policies directly to consumers at their places of work, and also reaches out to its customers outside of their worksite through digital mediums. The company has two reportable business segments; Aflac Japan which generates the majority of the revenue, and Aflac U.S.