Is the AFIC (ASX:AFI) share price a buy after the HY26 result?

Core Viewpoint - Australian Foundation Investment Co Ltd (AFIC) has reported its HY26 results, highlighting a special dividend and underperformance in its investment portfolio [1][10]. HY26 Result - The half-year net profit for AFIC was $147 million, reflecting a 5% decrease [10]. - The portfolio return for the half-year was negative 2%, compared to a positive 4.2% for the benchmark [10]. - The interim dividend per share was maintained at $0.12, with a special dividend of $0.025 per share [10]. Investment Performance - Several long-term holdings, including CSL Ltd, ARB Corporation Ltd, James Hardie Industries plc, Reece Ltd, and CAR Group Ltd, underperformed the market [3]. - Sectors that AFIC typically avoids, such as small and medium-sized resource shares, saw significant gains, with one-year returns of 73% and 104.3%, and gold up 127% [4]. Portfolio Management - AFIC has been reducing its positions in Wesfarmers Ltd and Commonwealth Bank of Australia, citing them as "extremely over-valued" [5]. - The company sold shares in Westpac Banking Corp, National Australia Bank Ltd, Netwealth Group Ltd, WiseTech Global Ltd, and James Hardie [5]. - AFIC focused its buying on Woolworths Group Ltd and Telstra Group Ltd, which it views as having attractive dividend yields and valuations [6]. International Portfolio - AFIC's international portfolio has grown to $170 million from an initial investment of $103.5 million in May 2021, with plans to maintain a concentrated portfolio rather than listing a separate fund [7]. Market Outlook - AFIC perceives the market as expensive, particularly regarding long-term averages for price-to-earnings ratios and dividend yields [8]. - The company believes it can capitalize on buying opportunities in selected high-quality companies with promising long-term growth prospects [8]. Investment Stability - AFIC is considered one of the most stable ASX dividend shares due to its diversified portfolio [11].