AXP vs. SLF: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AXP and SLF, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
AXP’s market capitalization of 229.88 billion USD is substantially larger than SLF’s 36.98 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
With betas of 1.25 for AXP and 0.88 for SLF, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | AXP | SLF |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | American Express Company | Sun Life Financial Inc. |
| Country | US | CA |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Financial - Credit Services | Insurance - Diversified |
| CEO | Stephen Joseph Squeri | Timothy Deacon FCPA |
| Price | 328.13 USD | 65.4 USD |
| Market Cap | 229.88 billion USD | 36.98 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.25 | 0.88 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | June 1, 1972 | March 23, 2000 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AXP and SLF 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
AXP
34.05%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 34.05%
- Q3
- 18.70%
- Median
- 10.57%
- Q1
- 3.55%
- Min
- -12.12%
In the upper quartile for the Financial - Credit Services industry, AXP’s Return on Equity of 34.05% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
SLF
12.74%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 19.59%
- Q3
- 17.66%
- Median
- 12.77%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- -4.43%
SLF’s Return on Equity of 12.74% is on par with the norm for the Insurance - Diversified industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Return on Invested Capital
AXP
8.40%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 68.11%
- Q3
- 32.26%
- Median
- 9.52%
- Q1
- 3.37%
- Min
- -7.03%
Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Financial - Credit Services industry.
SLF
--
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 32.46%
- Q3
- 16.21%
- Median
- 9.46%
- Q1
- 2.09%
- Min
- -10.51%
Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Insurance - Diversified industry.
Net Profit Margin
AXP
13.64%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 39.42%
- Q3
- 20.10%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 5.82%
- Min
- -14.80%
AXP’s Net Profit Margin of 13.64% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Financial - Credit Services industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
SLF
6.96%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 26.00%
- Q3
- 19.46%
- Median
- 9.37%
- Q1
- 5.55%
- Min
- -7.05%
SLF’s Net Profit Margin of 6.96% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Insurance - Diversified industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin
AXP
17.36%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 77.26%
- Q3
- 42.86%
- Median
- 17.99%
- Q1
- 10.82%
- Min
- -14.94%
AXP’s Operating Profit Margin of 17.36% is around the midpoint for the Financial - Credit Services industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
SLF
-23.56%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 44.52%
- Q3
- 25.84%
- Median
- 14.16%
- Q1
- 6.78%
- Min
- -2.60%
SLF has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -23.56%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | SLF |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 34.05% | 12.74% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 3.64% | 0.86% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 8.40% | -- |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 13.64% | 6.96% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.36% | -23.56% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 82.37% | 100.00% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
AXP
0.32
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 8.15
- Q3
- 4.39
- Median
- 2.62
- Q1
- 1.06
- Min
- 0.15
For the Financial - Credit Services industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.
SLF
--
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 4.41
- Q3
- 4.03
- Median
- 2.86
- Q1
- 2.82
- Min
- 2.82
Current Ratio data for SLF is currently unavailable.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
AXP
1.69
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 4.69
- Q3
- 2.55
- Median
- 1.20
- Q1
- 0.55
- Min
- 0.00
AXP’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.69 is typical for the Financial - Credit Services industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
SLF
0.25
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 0.54
- Q3
- 0.39
- Median
- 0.27
- Q1
- 0.21
- Min
- 0.13
SLF’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.25 is typical for the Insurance - Diversified 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
AXP
1.59
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 17.48
- Q3
- 7.42
- Median
- 1.59
- Q1
- 0.38
- Min
- -7.77
The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Financial - Credit Services industry.
SLF
-17.11
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 19.23
- Q3
- 17.46
- Median
- 7.97
- Q1
- 4.61
- Min
- -1.63
SLF has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -17.11. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | SLF |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.32 | -- |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.32 | -- |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.69 | 0.25 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.19 | 0.02 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.03 | -0.42 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 1.59 | -17.11 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AXP and SLF. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
AXP
0.93%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 14.68%
- Q3
- 2.97%
- Median
- 1.03%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AXP’s Dividend Yield of 0.93% is consistent with its peers in the Financial - Credit Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
SLF
3.82%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 8.16%
- Q3
- 5.54%
- Median
- 2.46%
- Q1
- 1.59%
- Min
- 0.00%
SLF’s Dividend Yield of 3.82% is consistent with its peers in the Insurance - Diversified industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio
AXP
20.01%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 169.58%
- Q3
- 38.15%
- Median
- 18.30%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AXP’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 20.01% is within the typical range for the Financial - Credit Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
SLF
61.43%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 101.86%
- Q3
- 53.36%
- Median
- 21.69%
- Q1
- 5.33%
- Min
- 0.00%
SLF’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 61.43% is in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Diversified industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | SLF |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.93% | 3.82% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 20.01% | 61.43% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
AXP
22.38
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 42.04
- Q3
- 25.88
- Median
- 12.28
- Q1
- 9.55
- Min
- 3.09
AXP’s P/E Ratio of 22.38 is within the middle range for the Financial - Credit Services industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
SLF
15.64
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 18.52
- Q3
- 16.13
- Median
- 13.33
- Q1
- 9.73
- Min
- 2.62
SLF’s P/E Ratio of 15.64 is within the middle range for the Insurance - Diversified 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
AXP
2.10
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 2.76
- Q3
- 1.57
- Median
- 0.82
- Q1
- 0.51
- Min
- 0.06
A Forward PEG Ratio of 2.10 places AXP in the upper quartile for the Financial - Credit Services industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
SLF
2.01
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 2.60
- Q3
- 2.07
- Median
- 1.20
- Q1
- 0.77
- Min
- 0.04
SLF’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.01 is within the middle range of its peers in the Insurance - Diversified industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
AXP
3.05
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 6.24
- Q3
- 3.02
- Median
- 1.54
- Q1
- 0.75
- Min
- 0.32
The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Financial - Credit Services industry.
SLF
1.08
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 3.08
- Q3
- 2.00
- Median
- 1.15
- Q1
- 1.07
- Min
- 0.38
SLF’s P/S Ratio of 1.08 aligns with the market consensus for the Insurance - Diversified industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio
AXP
7.37
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 3.58
- Q3
- 2.84
- Median
- 1.28
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.07
At 7.37, AXP’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Financial - Credit Services 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.
SLF
1.94
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 2.12
- Q3
- 1.80
- Median
- 1.59
- Q1
- 1.29
- Min
- 0.74
SLF’s P/B Ratio of 1.94 is in the upper tier for the Insurance - Diversified 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.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | SLF |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 22.38 | 15.64 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.10 | 2.01 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.05 | 1.08 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 7.37 | 1.94 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 20.31 | 7.22 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 15.56 | 13.25 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.06 | 1.04 |