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AFL vs. ARES: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

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Here’s a clear look at AFL and ARES, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

SymbolAFLARES
Company NameAflac IncorporatedAres Management Corporation
CountryUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorFinancialsFinancials
GICS IndustryInsuranceCapital Markets
Market Capitalization60.07 billion USD49.79 billion USD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateMarch 17, 1980May 2, 2014
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of AFL and ARES 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.

AFL vs. ARES: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

SymbolAFLARES
5-Day Price Return0.87%-6.74%
13-Week Price Return7.41%-14.36%
26-Week Price Return1.02%3.95%
52-Week Price Return-1.67%-3.57%
Month-to-Date Return0.56%-4.68%
Year-to-Date Return8.58%-13.91%
10-Day Avg. Volume2.10M2.46M
3-Month Avg. Volume2.50M1.52M
3-Month Volatility17.32%29.76%
Beta0.681.59

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

AFL

9.33%

Insurance Industry

Max
30.96%
Q3
18.76%
Median
14.22%
Q1
10.34%
Min
1.73%

AFL’s Return on Equity of 9.33% is in the lower quartile for the Insurance industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.

ARES

13.30%

Capital Markets Industry

Max
38.97%
Q3
22.24%
Median
13.52%
Q1
8.61%
Min
-4.25%

ARES’s Return on Equity of 13.30% is on par with the norm for the Capital Markets industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

AFL vs. ARES: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Insurance and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

AFL

15.32%

Insurance Industry

Max
26.78%
Q3
14.69%
Median
9.87%
Q1
6.59%
Min
-3.51%

A Net Profit Margin of 15.32% places AFL in the upper quartile for the Insurance industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

ARES

9.94%

Capital Markets Industry

Max
69.91%
Q3
37.24%
Median
24.30%
Q1
13.06%
Min
-15.18%

Falling into the lower quartile for the Capital Markets industry, ARES’s Net Profit Margin of 9.94% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.

AFL vs. ARES: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Insurance and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

AFL

21.35%

Insurance Industry

Max
34.52%
Q3
20.17%
Median
14.46%
Q1
9.62%
Min
-2.51%

In the Insurance industry, Operating Profit Margin is often not the primary measure of operational efficiency.

ARES

17.40%

Capital Markets Industry

Max
84.86%
Q3
47.16%
Median
32.23%
Q1
18.65%
Min
-21.87%

ARES’s Operating Profit Margin of 17.40% is in the lower quartile for the Capital Markets industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.

AFL vs. ARES: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Insurance and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

SymbolAFLARES
Return on Equity (TTM)9.33%13.30%
Return on Assets (TTM)1.99%1.85%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)15.32%9.94%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)21.35%17.40%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)----

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

AFL

0.11

Insurance Industry

Max
2.97
Q3
1.37
Median
0.54
Q1
0.15
Min
0.00

For the Insurance industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

ARES

0.31

Capital Markets Industry

Max
3.37
Q3
1.81
Median
1.01
Q1
0.56
Min
0.04

For the Capital Markets industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

AFL vs. ARES: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Insurance and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

AFL

0.33

Insurance Industry

Max
1.25
Q3
0.65
Median
0.34
Q1
0.23
Min
0.00

The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Insurance industry.

ARES

2.93

Capital Markets Industry

Max
6.52
Q3
2.79
Median
0.96
Q1
0.28
Min
0.00

The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Capital Markets industry.

AFL vs. ARES: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Insurance and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

AFL

33.57

Insurance Industry

Max
43.68
Q3
21.45
Median
9.67
Q1
3.55
Min
-5.73

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Insurance industry.

ARES

--

Capital Markets Industry

Max
107.59
Q3
48.41
Median
10.85
Q1
4.56
Min
-36.26

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Capital Markets industry.

AFL vs. ARES: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Insurance and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

SymbolAFLARES
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.110.31
Quick Ratio (MRQ)0.110.31
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)0.332.93
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)33.57--

Growth

Revenue Growth

AFL vs. ARES: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

AFL vs. ARES: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

AFL

1.92%

Insurance Industry

Max
9.80%
Q3
5.18%
Median
3.58%
Q1
2.07%
Min
0.00%

AFL’s Dividend Yield of 1.92% is in the lower quartile for the Insurance industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.

ARES

4.72%

Capital Markets Industry

Max
9.02%
Q3
4.54%
Median
2.55%
Q1
1.27%
Min
0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 4.72%, ARES offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Capital Markets industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

AFL vs. ARES: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Insurance and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

AFL

34.55%

Insurance Industry

Max
169.40%
Q3
85.57%
Median
53.26%
Q1
23.68%
Min
0.00%

AFL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 34.55% is within the typical range for the Insurance industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

ARES

323.31%

Capital Markets Industry

Max
199.38%
Q3
99.28%
Median
60.67%
Q1
32.00%
Min
0.00%

At 323.31%, ARES’s Dividend Payout Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical range for the Capital Markets industry. While this provides a significant return to shareholders, it may limit funds for reinvestment and could be difficult to sustain.

AFL vs. ARES: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Insurance and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

SymbolAFLARES
Dividend Yield (TTM)1.92%4.72%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)34.55%323.31%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

AFL

24.50

Insurance Industry

Max
30.75
Q3
18.11
Median
12.67
Q1
9.66
Min
2.87

A P/E Ratio of 24.50 places AFL in the upper quartile for the Insurance industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.

ARES

68.45

Capital Markets Industry

Max
51.69
Q3
29.42
Median
17.58
Q1
12.55
Min
5.59

At 68.45, ARES’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Capital Markets industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.

AFL vs. ARES: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Insurance and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

AFL

3.75

Insurance Industry

Max
3.41
Q3
1.88
Median
1.22
Q1
0.80
Min
0.23

With a P/S Ratio of 3.75, AFL trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Insurance industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

ARES

6.81

Capital Markets Industry

Max
14.65
Q3
7.29
Median
4.53
Q1
2.26
Min
0.04

ARES’s P/S Ratio of 6.81 aligns with the market consensus for the Capital Markets industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

AFL vs. ARES: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Insurance and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

AFL

2.10

Insurance Industry

Max
4.57
Q3
2.56
Median
1.88
Q1
1.20
Min
0.17

AFL’s P/B Ratio of 2.10 is within the conventional range for the Insurance industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

ARES

12.97

Capital Markets Industry

Max
10.83
Q3
5.12
Median
2.66
Q1
1.19
Min
0.37

At 12.97, ARES’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Capital Markets industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

AFL vs. ARES: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Insurance and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

SymbolAFLARES
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)24.5068.45
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)3.756.81
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)2.1012.97
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)23.048.26