AFL vs. BEN: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AFL and BEN, 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 BEN’s 13.07 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
BEN carries a higher beta at 1.46, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AFL (beta: 0.81) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | AFL | BEN |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Aflac Incorporated | Franklin Resources, Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Insurance - Life | Asset Management |
| CEO | Daniel Paul Amos | Jennifer M. Johnson |
| Price | 104.57 USD | 24.88 USD |
| Market Cap | 56.54 billion USD | 13.07 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.81 | 1.46 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | March 17, 1980 | September 23, 1983 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AFL and BEN 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.
BEN
3.22%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 34.25%
- Q3
- 18.22%
- Median
- 11.24%
- Q1
- 5.81%
- Min
- -5.72%
BEN’s Return on Equity of 3.22% is in the lower quartile for the Asset Management 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.
BEN
2.22%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 42.18%
- Q3
- 20.06%
- Median
- 8.68%
- Q1
- 3.13%
- Min
- -16.42%
BEN’s Return on Invested Capital of 2.22% is in the lower quartile for the Asset Management industry. This indicates a less efficient conversion of invested capital into profit compared to most of its competitors.
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.
BEN
4.66%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 91.66%
- Q3
- 57.81%
- Median
- 29.48%
- Q1
- 15.70%
- Min
- -27.65%
Falling into the lower quartile for the Asset Management industry, BEN’s Net Profit Margin of 4.66% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.
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.
BEN
9.78%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 99.76%
- Q3
- 78.28%
- Median
- 34.76%
- Q1
- 21.75%
- Min
- -48.25%
BEN’s Operating Profit Margin of 9.78% is in the lower quartile for the Asset Management industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | BEN |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 13.91% | 3.22% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 2.99% | 1.26% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 2.99% | 2.22% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 21.03% | 4.66% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 25.70% | 9.78% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 79.82% | 61.12% |
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.
BEN
3.96
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 12.44
- Q3
- 5.76
- Median
- 3.04
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.01
BEN’s Current Ratio of 3.96 aligns with the median group of the Asset Management industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
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.
BEN
1.07
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 2.62
- Q3
- 1.42
- Median
- 0.76
- Q1
- 0.34
- Min
- 0.01
BEN’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.07 is typical for the Asset Management industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
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.
BEN
16.00
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 13.30
- Q3
- 6.30
- Median
- 2.71
- Q1
- 1.00
- Min
- -6.91
With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 16.00, BEN demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Asset Management industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | BEN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | -- | 3.96 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | -- | 3.96 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.29 | 1.07 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.06 | 0.41 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.57 | 7.67 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 21.95 | 16.00 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AFL and BEN. 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.
BEN
5.10%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 26.09%
- Q3
- 11.60%
- Median
- 6.37%
- Q1
- 2.75%
- Min
- 0.00%
BEN’s Dividend Yield of 5.10% 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.
BEN
166.81%
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 1,034.88%
- Q3
- 127.70%
- Median
- 75.15%
- Q1
- 34.21%
- Min
- 0.00%
BEN’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 166.81% is above 100%. This means the company is paying out more in dividends than it earned, a practice that is often unsustainable and could indicate a risk to future dividend stability.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | BEN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.07% | 5.10% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 31.03% | 166.81% |
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.
BEN
31.84
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 38.72
- Q3
- 23.40
- Median
- 11.45
- Q1
- 8.80
- Min
- 1.54
A P/E Ratio of 31.84 places BEN in the upper quartile for the Asset Management industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
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.
BEN
2.15
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 6.38
- Q3
- 3.23
- Median
- 1.55
- Q1
- 0.89
- Min
- 0.02
BEN’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.15 is within the middle range of its peers in the Asset Management industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
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.
BEN
1.51
Asset Management Industry
- Max
- 13.75
- Q3
- 7.92
- Median
- 4.87
- Q1
- 3.51
- Min
- 0.02
In the lower quartile for the Asset Management industry, BEN’s P/S Ratio of 1.51 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.
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.
BEN
1.04
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 | BEN |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 15.85 | 31.84 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.40 | 2.15 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.31 | 1.51 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 2.16 | 1.04 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 23.10 | 20.04 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 13.45 | 18.05 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.46 | 2.62 |