AFL vs. WTW: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AFL and WTW, 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 WTW’s 30.40 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
With betas of 0.81 for AFL and 0.71 for WTW, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | AFL | WTW |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Aflac Incorporated | Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company |
| Country | US | GB |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Insurance - Life | Insurance - Brokers |
| CEO | Daniel Paul Amos | Carl A. Hess CERA, |
| Price | 104.57 USD | 306.64 USD |
| Market Cap | 56.54 billion USD | 30.40 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.81 | 0.71 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NASDAQ |
| IPO Date | March 17, 1980 | June 12, 2001 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AFL and WTW 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.
WTW
-0.64%
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 40.40%
- Q3
- 30.52%
- Median
- 22.48%
- Q1
- 4.38%
- Min
- -5.38%
WTW has a negative Return on Equity of -0.64%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.
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.
WTW
-1.51%
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 11.62%
- Q3
- 11.18%
- Median
- 8.38%
- Q1
- 2.57%
- Min
- -1.51%
WTW has a negative Return on Invested Capital of -1.51%. This indicates that its operations are failing to generate a profit on the total capital invested, signaling significant inefficiency or value destruction.
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.
WTW
-0.54%
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 21.33%
- Q3
- 15.86%
- Median
- 10.63%
- Q1
- 1.06%
- Min
- -2.28%
WTW has a negative Net Profit Margin of -0.54%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.
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.
WTW
8.87%
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 28.73%
- Q3
- 23.24%
- Median
- 21.46%
- Q1
- 10.89%
- Min
- 5.35%
WTW’s Operating Profit Margin of 8.87% is in the lower quartile for the Insurance - Brokers industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | WTW |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 13.91% | -0.64% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 2.99% | -0.19% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 2.99% | -1.51% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 21.03% | -0.54% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 25.70% | 8.87% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 79.82% | 52.69% |
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.
WTW
1.16
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.76
- Median
- 1.29
- Q1
- 1.14
- Min
- 1.05
WTW’s Current Ratio of 1.16 aligns with the median group of the Insurance - Brokers 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.
WTW
0.73
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 4.59
- Q3
- 2.12
- Median
- 0.59
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.01
WTW’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.73 is typical for the Insurance - Brokers 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.
WTW
3.30
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 29.40
- Q3
- 16.65
- Median
- 7.25
- Q1
- 4.20
- Min
- 1.60
In the lower quartile for the Insurance - Brokers industry, WTW’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 3.30 indicates a tighter cushion for servicing debt, suggesting less financial flexibility than many of its competitors.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | WTW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | -- | 1.16 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | -- | 1.16 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.29 | 0.73 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.06 | 0.21 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.57 | 1.36 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 21.95 | 3.30 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AFL and WTW. 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.
WTW
1.17%
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 2.63%
- Q3
- 1.34%
- Median
- 0.79%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WTW’s Dividend Yield of 1.17% is consistent with its peers in the Insurance - Brokers 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.
WTW
-671.70%
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 45.22%
- Q3
- 39.19%
- Median
- 29.49%
- Q1
- 3.85%
- Min
- 0.00%
WTW has a negative Dividend Payout Ratio of -671.70%. This typically means the company paid a dividend despite reporting a net loss, a situation that may signal financial instability.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | WTW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.07% | 1.17% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 31.03% | -671.70% |
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.
WTW
-578.57
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 45.50
- Q3
- 35.20
- Median
- 30.00
- Q1
- 28.34
- Min
- 26.42
WTW has a negative P/E Ratio of -578.57. This occurs when a company has negative earnings (a net loss), making the ratio unsuitable for valuation analysis.
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.
WTW
-41.18
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 3.32
- Q3
- 3.00
- Median
- 2.77
- Q1
- 2.41
- Min
- 2.09
WTW has a negative Forward PEG Ratio of -41.18. 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.
WTW
3.10
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 7.38
- Q3
- 5.34
- Median
- 4.27
- Q1
- 2.32
- Min
- 0.27
WTW’s P/S Ratio of 3.10 aligns with the market consensus for the Insurance - Brokers 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.
WTW
3.77
Insurance - Brokers Industry
- Max
- 10.90
- Q3
- 8.10
- Median
- 6.93
- Q1
- 4.15
- Min
- 1.12
WTW’s P/B Ratio of 3.77 is in the lower quartile for the Insurance - Brokers 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 | WTW |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 15.85 | -578.57 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.40 | -41.18 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.31 | 3.10 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 2.16 | 3.77 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 23.10 | 20.80 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 13.45 | 10.72 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.46 | 3.55 |