SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

Schedule of Common Stock Outstanding Roll Forward

The following table is a reconciliation of the number of shares of the Company's common stock for the years ended December 31.



(In thousands of shares)	2017	2016	2015
Common stock - issued:
Balance, beginning of period	671,249	669,723	668,132
Exercise of stock options and issuance of restricted shares	1,632	1,526	1,591
Balance, end of period	672,881	671,249	669,723
Treasury stock:
Balance, beginning of period	265,439	245,343	225,687
Purchases of treasury stock:
Open market	17,755	21,618	21,179
Other	509	330	247
Dispositions of treasury stock:
Shares issued to AFL Stock Plan	(891)	(1,064)	(1,209)
Exercise of stock options	(367)	(683)	(465)
Other	(19)	(105)	(96)
Balance, end of period	282,426	265,439	245,343
Shares outstanding, end of period	390,455	405,810	424,380

Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share

The following table presents the approximate number of share-based awards to purchase shares, on a weighted-average basis, that were considered to be anti-dilutive and were excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share at December 31:



(In thousands)	2017		2016		2015
Anti-dilutive share-based awards		255		911		1,862

Schedule of Weighted Average Number of Shares

The weighted-average shares used in calculating earnings per share for the years ended December 31 were as follows:



(In thousands of shares)	2017	2016	2015
Weighted-average outstanding shares used for calculating basic EPS	396,021	411,471	430,654
Dilutive effect of share-based awards	2,909	2,450	2,518
Weighted-average outstanding shares used for calculating diluted EPS	398,930	413,921	433,172

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Detail)

The tables below are reconciliations of accumulated other comprehensive income by component for the years ended December 31.

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income



2017
(In millions)	Unrealized Foreign Currency Translation Gains (Losses)				Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Investment Securities			Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Derivatives				Pension Liability Adjustment				Total
Balance, beginning of period		$	(1,983	)		$	4,805		$	(24	)		$	(168	)		$	2,630
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification		233				1,158			1				(6		)		1,386
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		0				1			0				11				12
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)		233				1,159			1				5				1,398
Balance, end of period		$	(1,750	)		$	5,964		$	(23	)		$	(163	)		$	4,028

All amounts in the table above are net of tax.



2016
(In millions)	Unrealized Foreign Currency Translation Gains (Losses)				Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Investment Securities				Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Derivatives				Pension Liability Adjustment				Total
Balance, beginning of period		$	(2,196	)		$	2,986			$	(26	)		$	(139	)		$	625
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification		213				1,854				2				(32		)		2,037
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		0				(35		)		0				3				(32		)
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)		213				1,819				2				(29		)		2,005
Balance, end of period		$	(1,983	)		$	4,805			$	(24	)		$	(168	)		$	2,630

All amounts in the table above are net of tax.



2015
(In millions)	Unrealized Foreign Currency Translation Gains (Losses)				Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Investment Securities				Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Derivatives				Pension Liability Adjustment				Total
Balance, beginning of period		$	(2,541	)		$	4,672			$	(26	)		$	(126	)		$	1,979
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification		345				(1,646		)		0				(13		)		(1,314		)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		0				(40		)		0				0				(40		)
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)		345				(1,686		)		0				(13		)		(1,354		)
Balance, end of period		$	(2,196	)		$	2,986			$	(26	)		$	(139	)		$	625

All amounts in the table above are net of tax.

Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Table Text Block]

The tables below summarize the amounts reclassified from each component of accumulated other comprehensive income based on source for the years ended December 31.

Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income



(In millions)	2017
Details about Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Components	Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income				Affected Line Item in the Statements of Earnings
Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities		$	27		Sales and redemptions
		(29		)	Other-than-temporary impairment losses realized
		(2		)	Total before tax
		1			Tax (expense) or benefit⁽¹⁾
		$	(1	)	Net of tax
Amortization of defined benefit pension items:
Actuarial gains (losses)		$	(17	)	Acquisition and operating expenses⁽²⁾
Prior service (cost) credit		0			Acquisition and operating expenses⁽²⁾
		6			Tax (expense) or benefit⁽¹⁾
		$	(11	)	Net of tax
Total reclassifications for the period		$	(12	)	Net of tax

⁽¹⁾Based on 35% tax rate

⁽²⁾These accumulated other comprehensive income components are included in the computation of net periodic pension cost (see

Note 14 for additional details).



(In millions)	2016
Details about Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Components	Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income				Affected Line Item in the Statements of Earnings
Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities		$	136		Sales and redemptions
		(83		)	Other-than-temporary impairment losses realized
		53			Total before tax
		(18		)	Tax (expense) or benefit⁽¹⁾
		$	35		Net of tax
Amortization of defined benefit pension items:
Actuarial gains (losses)		$	(15	)	Acquisition and operating expenses⁽²⁾
Prior service (cost) credit		11			Acquisition and operating expenses⁽²⁾
		1			Tax (expense) or benefit⁽¹⁾
		$	(3	)	Net of tax
Total reclassifications for the period		$	32		Net of tax

⁽¹⁾Based on 35% tax rate

⁽²⁾These accumulated other comprehensive income components are included in the computation of net periodic pension cost (see Note 14 for additional details).



(In millions)	2015
Details about Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Components	Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income				Affected Line Item in the Statements of Earnings
Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities		$	214		Sales and redemptions
		(153		)	Other-than-temporary impairment losses realized
		61			Total before tax
		(21		)	Tax (expense) or benefit⁽¹⁾
		$	40		Net of tax
Amortization of defined benefit pension items:
Actuarial gains (losses)		$	(17	)	Acquisition and operating expenses⁽²⁾
Prior service (cost) credit		17			Acquisition and operating expenses⁽²⁾
		0			Tax (expense) or benefit⁽¹⁾
		$	0		Net of tax
Total reclassifications for the period		$	40		Net of tax

⁽¹⁾Based on 35% tax rate

⁽²⁾These accumulated other comprehensive income components are included in the computation of net periodic pension cost (see Note 14 for additional details).