SLMAF (Sanlam) Debt-to-EBITDA : 0.84 (As of Dec. 2025) — 31% Above Median

Author: Vera Yuan Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
Director of Data and Quant Analytics at GuruFocus
Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
Reviewed by: Charlie Tian Charlie Tian
Charlie Tian
Charlie Tian
Founder & CEO of GuruFocus
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.

SLMAF Sanlam Ltd SLMAF
81 GF Score
Price $3.48
GF Value $4.57
! 2 Warning Signs
View Full Analysis

What is Sanlam Debt-to-EBITDA?

Sanlam SLMAF 81 Debt-to-EBITDA is 0.84 as of Dec. 2025, which is 31% above its 10-year median of 0.64. GuruFocus rates SLMAF with a GF Score™ of 81/100 and a GF Value™ of $4.57. The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review. Among 321 Insurance companies, Sanlam ranks better than 66.67% on this metric.

Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.

Sanlam's Short-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation for the quarter that ended in Dec. 2025 was $331 Mil. Sanlam's Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation for the quarter that ended in Dec. 2025 was $863 Mil. Sanlam's annualized EBITDA for the quarter that ended in Dec. 2025 was $1,425 Mil. Sanlam's annualized Debt-to-EBITDA for the quarter that ended in Dec. 2025 was 0.84.

A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.

The historical rank and industry rank for Sanlam's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:

SLMAF' s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.37   Med: 0.64   Max: 1.49
Current: 0.67

During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of Sanlam was 1.49. The lowest was 0.37. And the median was 0.64.

SLMAF's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked better than
66.67% of 321 companies
in the Insurance industry
Industry Median: 1.19 vs SLMAF: 0.67

Sanlam  (OTCPK:SLMAF) Debt-to-EBITDA Explanation

In the calculation of Debt-to-EBITDA, we use the total of Short-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation and Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation divided by EBITDA. In some calculations, Total Liabilities is used to for calculation.


Be Aware

A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.

According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.


Sanlam Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms


Sanlam Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Sanlam's Debt-to-EBITDA can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Sanlam Debt-to-EBITDA Chart

Sanlam Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Debt-to-EBITDA
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 0.45 0.89 0.66 0.66 0.67

Sanlam Semi-Annual Data
Jun16 Dec16 Jun17 Dec17 Jun18 Dec18 Jun19 Dec19 Jun20 Dec20 Jun21 Dec21 Jun22 Dec22 Jun23 Dec23 Jun24 Dec24 Jun25 Dec25
Debt-to-EBITDA Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 0.57 0.46 0.68 0.54 0.84

SLMAF vs AFL, MET, PRU: Debt-to-EBITDA Comparison

For the Insurance - Life subindustry, Sanlam's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


Sanlam Debt-to-EBITDA vs Insurance Industry

For the Insurance industry and Financial Services sector, Sanlam's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Sanlam's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.


SLMAF
81GF Score
Sanlam Ltd SLMAF
Debt-to-EBITDA is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Sanlam Debt-to-EBITDA Calculation

Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.

Sanlam's Debt-to-EBITDA for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as

Debt-to-EBITDA=Total Debt / EBITDA
=(Short-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation + Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation) / EBITDA
=(330.666 + 863.379) / 1775.948
=0.67

Sanlam's annualized Debt-to-EBITDA for the quarter that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as

Debt-to-EBITDA=Total Debt / EBITDA
=(Short-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation + Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation) / EBITDA
=(330.666 + 863.379) / 1424.726
=0.84

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data, the EBITDA data used here is two times the quarterly (Dec. 2025) EBITDA data.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Debt-to-EBITDA →
What does a Debt-to-EBITDA of 0.84 mean?
Sanlam (SLMAF) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 0.84 as of Dec. 2025. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Sanlam. This is 31% above median its historical median of 0.64. Over the past decade, Sanlam's Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 0.37 to 1.49. According to the industry distribution chart, Sanlam ranks #107 out of 321 companies in the Insurance industry, placing it in the top 33.3%.
Is Sanlam's Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
Sanlam's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 0.84 is 31% above median its 10-year median of 0.64. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.37 to a high of 1.49. The Insurance industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.19. Sanlam's value of 0.84 is 29.4% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Sanlam ranks #107 out of 321 companies in the Insurance industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Sanlam has a GF Score™ of 81/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Sanlam's Debt-to-EBITDA compare to AFL and MET?
According to the Insurance industry distribution chart, Sanlam ranks #107 out of 321 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This puts Sanlam in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.19. Sanlam's value of 0.84 is 29.4% below this benchmark. Historically, Sanlam's own Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 0.37 to 1.49 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.64 vs. the industry median of 1.19, Sanlam has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for an Insurance company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Insurance companies is 1.19, based on 321 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Sanlam's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 0.84 is 29.4% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Sanlam. For the Insurance industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.19 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Sanlam's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 0.84, which is 31% above median its own 10-year median of 0.64. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Sanlam stock overvalued right now?
Sanlam (SLMAF) has a current Debt-to-EBITDA of 0.84. The stock's GF Value™ is $4.57, compared to a current price of $3.48 — trading 23.9% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 0.84, which is 31% above median its 10-year median of 0.64 and 29.4% below the Insurance industry median of 1.19. Sanlam's overall GF Score™ is 81/100 with 2 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Sanlam (SLMAF), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 0.84 as of Dec. 2025. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Is Sanlam (SLMAF) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Sanlam stock appears to be undervalued. The current stock price of $3.48 is trading 23.9% below its estimated GF Value™ of $4.57.

Key valuation signals for SLMAF:

  • Debt-to-EBITDA: 0.84 (31% above median its 10-year median of 0.64)
  • GF Value™: $4.57 vs. price of $3.48 (23.9% below fair value)
  • GF Score™: 81/100 with 2 warning signs
  • Industry Position: 29.4% below the Insurance median (#107 of 321)

No single metric tells the full story. See the SLMAF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Sanlam Business Description

Address 2 Strand Road, Bellville, ZAF, 7530
Sanlam Ltd sells insurance products and provides investment and wealth management services. Its operating segments include Sanlam Life and Savings, Pan-Africa, Asia, Sanlam Investments, and Santam. It operates in South Africa, Pan-Africa, Asia, and International.
81GF Score

Get the complete analysis for SLMAF

Debt-to-EBITDA is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$3.48
Price
$4.57
GF Value