AFL vs. ARCC: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AFL and ARCC, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
AFL’s market capitalization of 56.54 billion USD is substantially larger than ARCC’s 15.56 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
With betas of 0.81 for AFL and 0.73 for ARCC, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | AFL | ARCC |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Aflac Incorporated | Ares Capital Corporation |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Insurance - Life | Asset Management |
| CEO | Daniel Paul Amos | Kort Schnabel |
| Price | 104.57 USD | 22.41 USD |
| Market Cap | 56.54 billion USD | 15.56 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.81 | 0.73 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NASDAQ |
| IPO Date | March 17, 1980 | October 5, 2004 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AFL and ARCC by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
AFL
13.91%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 23.38%
- Q3
- 14.56%
- Median
- 11.23%
- Q1
- 1.67%
- Min
- -5.23%
AFL’s Return on Equity of 13.91% is on par with the norm for the Insurance - Life industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
ARCC
11.03%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 34.25%
- Q3
- 18.22%
- Median
- 11.24%
- Q1
- 5.81%
- Min
- -5.72%
ARCC’s Return on Equity of 11.03% is on par with the norm for the Asset Management industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Return on Invested Capital
AFL
2.99%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 6.30%
- Q3
- 3.33%
- Median
- 2.16%
- Q1
- 0.68%
- Min
- -0.10%
Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Insurance - Life industry.
ARCC
208.60%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 42.18%
- Q3
- 20.06%
- Median
- 8.68%
- Q1
- 3.13%
- Min
- -16.42%
ARCC’s Return on Invested Capital of 208.60% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Asset Management industry. This demonstrates an outstanding ability to deploy capital efficiently and create significant value.
Net Profit Margin
AFL
21.03%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 21.20%
- Q3
- 11.59%
- Median
- 7.10%
- Q1
- 3.79%
- Min
- 2.14%
A Net Profit Margin of 21.03% places AFL in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Life industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
ARCC
67.48%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 91.66%
- Q3
- 57.81%
- Median
- 29.48%
- Q1
- 15.70%
- Min
- -27.65%
A Net Profit Margin of 67.48% places ARCC in the upper quartile for the Asset Management industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin
AFL
25.70%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 38.96%
- Q3
- 37.28%
- Median
- 14.06%
- Q1
- 8.95%
- Min
- -1.68%
In the Insurance - Life industry, Operating Profit Margin is often not the primary measure of operational efficiency.
ARCC
91.13%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 99.76%
- Q3
- 78.28%
- Median
- 34.76%
- Q1
- 21.75%
- Min
- -48.25%
An Operating Profit Margin of 91.13% places ARCC in the upper quartile for the Asset Management industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | ARCC |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 13.91% | 11.03% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 2.99% | 5.08% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 2.99% | 208.60% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 21.03% | 67.48% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 25.70% | 91.13% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 79.82% | 95.92% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
AFL
--
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 843.97
- Q3
- 821.68
- Median
- 6.06
- Q1
- 3.15
- Min
- 0.47
Current Ratio data for AFL is currently unavailable.
ARCC
--
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 12.44
- Q3
- 5.76
- Median
- 3.04
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.01
Current Ratio data for ARCC is currently unavailable.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
AFL
0.29
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 0.86
- Q3
- 0.83
- Median
- 0.55
- Q1
- 0.37
- Min
- 0.27
Falling into the lower quartile for the Insurance - Life industry, AFL’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.29 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
ARCC
--
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 2.62
- Q3
- 1.42
- Median
- 0.76
- Q1
- 0.34
- Min
- 0.01
Debt-to-Equity Ratio data for ARCC is currently unavailable.
Interest Coverage Ratio
AFL
21.96
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 37.82
- Q3
- 19.50
- Median
- 6.25
- Q1
- 2.29
- Min
- -0.76
AFL’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 21.96 is in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Life industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
ARCC
3.77
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 13.30
- Q3
- 6.30
- Median
- 2.71
- Q1
- 1.00
- Min
- -6.91
ARCC’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 3.77 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Asset Management industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | ARCC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | -- | -- |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | -- | -- |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.29 | -- |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.06 | -- |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.57 | -0.35 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 21.95 | 3.77 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AFL and ARCC. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
AFL
2.07%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 10.36%
- Q3
- 4.76%
- Median
- 2.40%
- Q1
- 1.51%
- Min
- 0.00%
AFL’s Dividend Yield of 2.07% is consistent with its peers in the Insurance - Life industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
ARCC
8.57%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 26.09%
- Q3
- 11.60%
- Median
- 6.37%
- Q1
- 2.75%
- Min
- 0.00%
ARCC’s Dividend Yield of 8.57% is consistent with its peers in the Asset Management industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio
AFL
31.03%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 203.94%
- Q3
- 64.38%
- Median
- 29.88%
- Q1
- 19.14%
- Min
- 0.00%
AFL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 31.03% is within the typical range for the Insurance - Life industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
ARCC
81.85%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 1,034.88%
- Q3
- 127.70%
- Median
- 75.15%
- Q1
- 34.21%
- Min
- 0.00%
ARCC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 81.85% is within the typical range for the Asset Management industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | ARCC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.07% | 8.57% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 31.03% | 81.85% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
AFL
15.85
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 17.82
- Q3
- 16.08
- Median
- 12.43
- Q1
- 7.33
- Min
- 3.69
AFL’s P/E Ratio of 15.85 is within the middle range for the Insurance - Life industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
ARCC
10.53
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 38.72
- Q3
- 23.40
- Median
- 11.45
- Q1
- 8.80
- Min
- 1.54
ARCC’s P/E Ratio of 10.53 is within the middle range for the Asset Management industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
AFL
2.40
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 3.81
- Q3
- 1.95
- Median
- 0.97
- Q1
- 0.53
- Min
- 0.24
A Forward PEG Ratio of 2.40 places AFL in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Life industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
ARCC
-7.92
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 6.38
- Q3
- 3.23
- Median
- 1.55
- Q1
- 0.89
- Min
- 0.02
ARCC has a negative Forward PEG Ratio of -7.92. This typically results from negative earnings or forecasts of declining future earnings, making the ratio not meaningful for valuation.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
AFL
3.31
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 3.84
- Q3
- 2.89
- Median
- 1.06
- Q1
- 0.63
- Min
- 0.31
AFL’s P/S Ratio of 3.31 is in the upper echelon for the Insurance - Life industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
ARCC
7.30
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 13.75
- Q3
- 7.92
- Median
- 4.87
- Q1
- 3.51
- Min
- 0.02
ARCC’s P/S Ratio of 7.30 aligns with the market consensus for the Asset Management industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio
AFL
2.16
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 3.87
- Q3
- 2.13
- Median
- 1.49
- Q1
- 0.95
- Min
- 0.38
AFL’s P/B Ratio of 2.16 is in the upper tier for the Insurance - Life industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
ARCC
1.11
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 5.33
- Q3
- 2.75
- Median
- 1.06
- Q1
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.00
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Asset Management industry.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | ARCC |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 15.85 | 10.53 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.40 | -7.92 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.31 | 7.30 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 2.16 | 1.11 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 23.10 | -6.47 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 13.45 | 8.15 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.46 | 7.00 |