AFLAC INC vs PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP INC, two Managed Care stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Two benefits insurers, two balance-sheet postures: Aflac at 0.26 of debt to equity, Principal at 0.33, both conservative, both built to hold float safely. The economics diverge at the margin line: Aflac keeps 25.6% of revenue as net income selling supplemental health policies, Principal 10.1% across retirement plans and group benefits. The market prices them close, 13.7 and 15.5 times earnings, with dividends of 2% and 2.9%. Principal's 15.8% free-cash figure carries the usual insurance-float caveat; the return-on-asset lines, 4% against 0.5%, show how much balance sheet Principal drags per dollar earned. Same aisle of the insurance store, different products, and the market barely charges a spread.
Comparison updated 2026-07-10.
| Metric | AFL | PFG |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $120.07 | $107.80 |
| Market cap | $61.8B | $23.7B |
| Sector | Managed Care | Managed Care |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| P/E | 13.7 | 15.5 |
| P/B | 2.06 | 2.00 |
| P/S | 3.41 | 1.54 |
| Revenue growth | +14.9% | -0.2% |
| Net margin | 25.6% | 10.1% |
| Return on equity | 15.5% | 13.2% |
| Return on assets | 4.0% | 0.5% |
| FCF yield | 4.8% | 15.8% |
| Dividend yield | 2.0% | 2.9% |
| Debt / equity | 0.26 | 0.33 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 1.26 | 0.17 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 6 / 9 |
Each week boothcheck ranks the stocks whose prices are betting on the most. Read the most stretched bets archive →
boothcheck is also on Android. Get the app on Google Play →
The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.