AFL vs. CNA: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AFL and CNA, 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 CNA’s 12.36 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
AFL’s beta of 0.81 points to significantly higher volatility compared to CNA (beta: 0.52), suggesting AFL has greater potential for both gains and losses relative to market movements.
| Symbol | AFL | CNA |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Aflac Incorporated | CNA Financial Corporation |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Insurance - Life | Insurance - Property & Casualty |
| CEO | Daniel Paul Amos | Douglas Merle Worman |
| Price | 104.57 USD | 45.69 USD |
| Market Cap | 56.54 billion USD | 12.36 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.81 | 0.52 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | March 17, 1980 | February 3, 1969 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AFL and CNA 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.
CNA
8.64%
Insurance - Property & Casualty Industry
- Max
- 28.14%
- Q3
- 17.51%
- Median
- 12.75%
- Q1
- 8.26%
- Min
- 0.61%
CNA’s Return on Equity of 8.64% is on par with the norm for the Insurance - Property & Casualty 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.
CNA
-39.52%
Insurance - Property & Casualty Industry
- Max
- 21.89%
- Q3
- 10.09%
- Median
- 3.90%
- Q1
- 0.89%
- Min
- -7.26%
Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Insurance - Property & Casualty 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.
CNA
6.23%
Insurance - Property & Casualty Industry
- Max
- 21.98%
- Q3
- 13.09%
- Median
- 9.18%
- Q1
- 6.10%
- Min
- 2.13%
CNA’s Net Profit Margin of 6.23% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Insurance - Property & Casualty 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.
CNA
5.91%
Insurance - Property & Casualty Industry
- Max
- 31.70%
- Q3
- 17.32%
- Median
- 12.57%
- Q1
- 7.38%
- Min
- 4.31%
CNA’s Operating Profit Margin of 5.91% is in the lower quartile for the Insurance - Property & Casualty industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | CNA |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 13.91% | 8.64% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 2.99% | 1.33% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 2.99% | -39.52% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 21.03% | 6.23% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 25.70% | 5.91% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 79.82% | 94.85% |
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.
CNA
0.41
Insurance - Property & Casualty Industry
- Max
- 51.52
- Q3
- 30.84
- Median
- 20.50
- Q1
- 6.61
- Min
- 0.41
CNA’s Current Ratio of 0.41 falls into the lower quartile for the Insurance - Property & Casualty industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
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.
CNA
0.29
Insurance - Property & Casualty Industry
- Max
- 0.58
- Q3
- 0.36
- Median
- 0.27
- Q1
- 0.14
- Min
- 0.01
CNA’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.29 is typical for the Insurance - Property & Casualty 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.
CNA
6.54
Insurance - Property & Casualty Industry
- Max
- 39.40
- Q3
- 22.24
- Median
- 12.38
- Q1
- 6.68
- Min
- -12.40
In the lower quartile for the Insurance - Property & Casualty industry, CNA’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 6.54 indicates a tighter cushion for servicing debt, suggesting less financial flexibility than many of its competitors.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | CNA |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | -- | 0.41 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | -- | 0.41 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.29 | 0.29 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.06 | 0.04 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.57 | 2.67 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 21.95 | 6.54 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AFL and CNA. 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.
CNA
8.32%
Insurance - Property & Casualty Industry
- Max
- 8.17%
- Q3
- 3.10%
- Median
- 1.79%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
CNA’s Dividend Yield of 8.32% is exceptionally high, placing it well above the typical range for the Insurance - Property & Casualty industry. While this may seem attractive, an unusually high yield can sometimes be a warning sign, reflecting a falling stock price or market concerns about the dividend’s sustainability.
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.
CNA
115.20%
Insurance - Property & Casualty Industry
- Max
- 115.20%
- Q3
- 35.27%
- Median
- 22.19%
- Q1
- 3.16%
- Min
- 0.00%
CNA’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 115.20% 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 | CNA |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.07% | 8.32% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 31.03% | 115.20% |
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.
CNA
13.85
Insurance - Property & Casualty Industry
- Max
- 35.83
- Q3
- 23.28
- Median
- 14.49
- Q1
- 11.91
- Min
- 4.47
CNA’s P/E Ratio of 13.85 is within the middle range for the Insurance - Property & Casualty 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.
CNA
-0.17
Insurance - Property & Casualty Industry
- Max
- 2.53
- Q3
- 1.90
- Median
- 1.33
- Q1
- 0.86
- Min
- 0.01
CNA has a negative Forward PEG Ratio of -0.17. 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.
CNA
0.86
Insurance - Property & Casualty Industry
- Max
- 3.76
- Q3
- 2.39
- Median
- 1.80
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.50
The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Insurance - Property & Casualty 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.
CNA
1.21
Insurance - Property & Casualty Industry
- Max
- 5.34
- Q3
- 2.95
- Median
- 1.92
- Q1
- 1.31
- Min
- 0.52
CNA’s P/B Ratio of 1.21 is in the lower quartile for the Insurance - Property & Casualty industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | CNA |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 15.85 | 13.85 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.40 | -0.17 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.31 | 0.86 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 2.16 | 1.21 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 23.10 | 4.73 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 13.45 | 15.92 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.46 | 1.03 |