AFL vs. BCS: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AFL and BCS, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
AFL’s market capitalization stands at 56.54 billion USD, while BCS’s is 64.71 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.
With betas of 0.81 for AFL and 1.06 for BCS, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
BCS is an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), allowing U.S. investors direct exposure to its non-U.S. operations. AFL, on the other hand, is a domestic entity.
| Symbol | AFL | BCS |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Aflac Incorporated | Barclays PLC |
| Country | US | GB |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Insurance - Life | Banks - Diversified |
| CEO | Daniel Paul Amos | Coimbatore Sundararajan Venkatakrishnan |
| Price | 104.57 USD | 18.26 USD |
| Market Cap | 56.54 billion USD | 64.71 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.81 | 1.06 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | March 17, 1980 | September 9, 1986 |
| ADR | No | Yes |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AFL and BCS 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.
BCS
8.78%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 20.93%
- Q3
- 14.73%
- Median
- 12.33%
- Q1
- 9.14%
- Min
- 5.86%
BCS’s Return on Equity of 8.78% is in the lower quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.
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.
BCS
1.12%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 2.95%
- Median
- 1.89%
- Q1
- 0.86%
- Min
- 0.18%
Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Banks - Diversified industry.
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.
BCS
23.50%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 33.40%
- Q3
- 26.40%
- Median
- 19.24%
- Q1
- 14.99%
- Min
- 7.95%
BCS’s Net Profit Margin of 23.50% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Banks - Diversified industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
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.
BCS
50.90%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 50.90%
- Q3
- 37.76%
- Median
- 28.44%
- Q1
- 15.73%
- Min
- 8.60%
An Operating Profit Margin of 50.90% places BCS in the upper quartile for the Banks - Diversified 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 | BCS |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 13.91% | 8.78% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 2.99% | 0.40% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 2.99% | 1.12% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 21.03% | 23.50% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 25.70% | 50.90% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 79.82% | 100.00% |
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.
BCS
0.67
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 0.67
- Q3
- 0.49
- Median
- 0.39
- Q1
- 0.28
- Min
- 0.06
For the Banks - Diversified industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.
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.
BCS
1.48
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 4.98
- Q3
- 3.65
- Median
- 3.13
- Q1
- 1.73
- Min
- 0.09
Falling into the lower quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry, BCS’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.48 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
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.
BCS
--
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 0.98
- Q3
- 0.78
- Median
- 0.55
- Q1
- 0.31
- Min
- 0.09
The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Banks - Diversified industry.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | BCS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | -- | 0.67 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | -- | 0.67 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.29 | 1.48 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.06 | 0.07 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.57 | -14.87 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 21.95 | -- |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AFL and BCS. 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.
BCS
1.89%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 7.73%
- Q3
- 4.16%
- Median
- 3.24%
- Q1
- 2.27%
- Min
- 0.00%
BCS’s Dividend Yield of 1.89% is in the lower quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
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.
BCS
0.00%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 84.94%
- Q3
- 39.11%
- Median
- 26.91%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BCS has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | BCS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.07% | 1.89% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 31.03% | 0.00% |
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.
BCS
7.52
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 14.13
- Q3
- 13.37
- Median
- 11.90
- Q1
- 9.29
- Min
- 7.43
In the lower quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry, BCS’s P/E Ratio of 7.52 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.
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.
BCS
0.52
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 1.41
- Median
- 1.15
- Q1
- 0.77
- Min
- 0.45
In the lower quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry, BCS’s Forward PEG Ratio of 0.52 is a positive indicator. It suggests that the stock may be attractively valued relative to its expected earnings growth.
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.
BCS
1.73
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 4.15
- Q3
- 2.92
- Median
- 2.29
- Q1
- 1.83
- Min
- 0.94
The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Banks - Diversified industry.
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.
BCS
0.64
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 1.89
- Q3
- 1.47
- Median
- 1.23
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.65
BCS’s P/B Ratio of 0.64 is below the established floor for the Banks - Diversified industry. This may signal that the market is deeply pessimistic or has overlooked the company, potentially offering its asset base at a significant discount.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | BCS |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 15.85 | 7.52 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.40 | 0.52 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.31 | 1.73 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 2.16 | 0.64 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 23.10 | -- |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 13.45 | -9.48 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.46 | -3.05 |