Challenger (ASX:CGF) Earnings Power Value (EPV): A$34.61 (As of Jun25)


ASX:CGF Challenger Ltd ASX:CGF
59 GF Score
Price A$9.82
GF Value A$4.11
Valuation Significantly Overvalued
! 8 Warning Signs
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What is Challenger Earnings Power Value (EPV)?

Challenger ASX:CGF -0.30% 59 Earnings Power Value (EPV) is A$34.61 as of Jun25. GuruFocus rates ASX:CGF with a GF Score™ of 59/100 and a GF Value™ of A$4.11 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 8 warning signs investors should review.

As of Jun25, Challenger's earnings power value is A$34.61. *

* GuruFocus does not store EPV value into our database if Average Maintenance CAPEX is 0.

Margin of Safety is 71.63

The basic concept of EPV is that one should value a stock based on the current free cash flow of a company and not on future projections which may, or may not, come true. It is arguably a better way to analyze stocks than Discounted Cash Flow analysis that relies on highly speculative growth assumptions many years into the future. Assumption: Current profitability is sustainable.


Challenger  (ASX:CGF) Earnings Power Value (EPV) Explanation

Assumption: Current profitability is sustainable.

Earnings power value (EPV) uses a very basic equation which assumes no growth, although it does rely on an assumption about the cost of capital as well as the fact that current earnings are sustainable. It also involves several adjustments to clean up the underlying Earnings figures.


Be Aware

Though using today's earnings in calculating Earnings Power Value, GuruFocus is normalizing these earnings to the business cycle. This eliminates the effects on profitability of valuing the firm at different points in the business cycle. This means that we are considering the average earnings over 5 years.


Challenger Earnings Power Value (EPV) Related Terms


Challenger Earnings Power Value (EPV) Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Challenger's Earnings Power Value (EPV) 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.

Challenger Earnings Power Value (EPV) Chart

Challenger Annual Data
Trend Jun16 Jun17 Jun18 Jun19 Jun20 Jun21 Jun22 Jun23 Jun24 Jun25
Earnings Power Value (EPV)
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 6.99 27.15 29.12 32.19 34.61

Challenger Semi-Annual Data
Jun16 Dec16 Jun17 Dec17 Jun18 Dec18 Jun19 Dec19 Jun20 Dec20 Jun21 Dec21 Jun22 Dec22 Jun23 Dec23 Jun24 Dec24 Jun25 Dec25
Earnings Power Value (EPV) 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 0.00 32.19 0.00 34.61 0.00

ASX:CGF vs AFL, MET, PRU: Earnings Power Value (EPV) Comparison

For the Insurance - Life subindustry, Challenger's Earnings Power Value (EPV), along with its competitors' market caps and Earnings Power Value (EPV) 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.


Challenger Earnings Power Value (EPV) vs Insurance Industry

For the Insurance industry and Financial Services sector, Challenger's Earnings Power Value (EPV) distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Challenger's Earnings Power Value (EPV) falls into.


ASX:CGF
59GF Score
Challenger Ltd ASX:CGF
Earnings Power Value (EPV) is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Challenger Earnings Power Value (EPV) Calculation

Earnings Power Value also known as just Earnings Power is a valuation technique popularised by Bruce Greenwald, an authority on value investing at Columbia University. It is arguably a better way to analyze stocks than Discounted Cash Flow analysis that relies on highly speculative growth assumptions many years into the future.

The basic concept of EPV is that one should value a stock based on the current free cash flow of a company and not on future projections which may, or may not, come true. This valuation tool excludes the potential growth that a company may have so that needs to be looked at separately. Since future growth is excluded from the analysis, only the maintenance capital expenditures are subtracted from after-tax EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) and growth capex is ignored.

Challenger's "Earning Power" Calculation:

Average of Last 5 Years Last Year
Revenue 1,990
DDA 15
Operating Margin % 0.00
SGA * 25% 52
Tax Rate % 28.91
Maintenance Capex 3
Cash and Cash Equivalents 32,393
Short-Term Debt 6,936
Long-Term Debt 1,332
Shares Outstanding (Diluted) 697

1. Start with "Earnings" not including accounting adjustments (one-time charges not excluded unless policy has changed). "Earnings" are "Operating Income.

2. Look at average margins over a business/Industry cycle: Average Operating Margin = 0.00%

To normalize margins and eliminate the effects on profitability of valuing the firm at different points in the business cycle, it is usually best to take a long-term average of operating margins. Ideally this would be as long as 10 years and include at least one economic downturn. However, since most of companies do not have as long as 10-year history, here GuruFocus uses the latest 5 years data to do the calculation. To smooth out unusual years but reflect recent developments, we take an average of the 5 year margin.

3. Multiply average margins by sustainable revenues and then adjust for maintenance SGA. This yields "normalized" EBIT:

To be conservative, GuruFocus uses an average of the 5 year revenues as the sustainable revenue.
EPV analysis recognises that part of SG&A expenditure is made to maintain and replace the existing assets, while part is made to grow sales. Since EPV is only interested in what it costs a going concern to maintain its existing asset base, it adds back a percentage of SG&A (between 15% and 50% - this is a matter of judgment and industry knowledge) to make up for the fact that some of this expenditure went to fund growth and shouldn't be accounted for. To start off, we assume 25% for the sake of prudence.
Sustainable Revenue = A$1,990 Mil, Average Operating Margin = 0.00%, Average Adjusted SGA = 52,
therefore "Normalized" EBIT = Sustainable Revenue * Average Operating Margin + Average Adjusted SGA = 1,990 * 0.00% +52 = A$ Mil.

4. Multiply by one minus Average Tax Rate (NOPAT):

Same as average operating margin calculation, GuruFocus takes an average of the 5 years tax rates.
Average Tax Rate = 28.91%, and "Normalized" EBIT = A$ Mil,
therefore After-tax "Normalized" EBIT = "Normalized" EBIT * ( 1 - Average Tax Rate ) = * ( 1 - 28.91% ) = A$0 Mil.

5. Add back Excess Depreciation (after tax at 1/2 average tax rate). This yields "normalized" Earnings:

Excess Depreciation = Average DDA * % of Excess Depreciation (after tax at 1/2 average tax rate) = 15 * 0.5 * 28.91% = A$2.1709908 Mil.
"Normalized" Earnings = After-tax "Normalized" EBIT + Excess Depreciation = 0 + 2.1709908 = A$2.1709908 Mil.

6. Adjusted for Maintenance Capital Expenditure:

First, calculate the revenue change regarding to the previous year. If the revenue decreased from the previous year, then the Maintenance Capital Expenditure = Capital Expenditure (positive).
Second, if the revenue increased from the previous year, then calculate the percentage of Net PPE as of corresponding Revenue.
Third, calculate Capital Expenditure (positive) - percentage of Net PPE as of corresponding Revenue * revenue increase.
If [Capital Expenditure (positive) - percentage of Net PPE as of corresponding Revenue * revenue increase] was negative, then the Maintenance Capital Expenditure = Capital Expenditure (positive).
If [Capital Expenditure (positive) - percentage of Net PPE as of corresponding Revenue * revenue increase] was positive, then the Maintenance Capital Expenditure = Capital Expenditure (positive) - percentage of Net PPE as of corresponding Revenue * revenue increase.
Fourth, GuruFocus uses an average of the 5 year maintenance capital expenditures as maintenance CAPEX.
Challenger's Average Maintenance CAPEX = A$3 Mil *.
* GuruFocus does not store EPV value into our database if Average Maintenance CAPEX is 0.

7. Investors require a return of "WACC" for the risk they are taking: WACC = 9%

8. Challenger's current cash and cash equivalent = A$32,393 Mil.
Challenger's current interest bearing debt = Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation + Short-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation = 1,332 + 6,936 = A$8267.9 Mil.
Challenger's current Shares Outstanding (Diluted Average) = 697 Mil.

Challenger's Earnings Power Value (EPV) for Jun25 is calculated as:

EPV = ( ( Norm. Earnings-Maint. CAPEX *) / WACC + CashandEquiv - Int. Bearing Debt ) / Shares Outstanding (Diluted Average)
= ( ( 2.1709908 - 3)/ 9%+32,393-8267.9 )/697
=34.61

Margin of Safety (EPV)=( Earnings Power Value (EPV)-Current Price )/Earnings Power Value (EPV)
=( 34.609356999776-9.82 )/34.609356999776
= 71.63%

* 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.

* GuruFocus does not store EPV value into our database if Average Maintenance CAPEX is 0.

What does a Earnings Power Value (EPV) of A$34.61 mean?
Challenger (ASX:CGF) has a Earnings Power Value (EPV) of A$34.61 as of Jun25. Bruce Greenwald's earnings power value focuses on current earnings without factoring in future growth. View historical data on Challenger and its competitors.
Is Challenger's Earnings Power Value (EPV) too high?
Challenger's current Earnings Power Value (EPV) is A$34.61. Overall, Challenger has a GF Score™ of 59/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Challenger's Earnings Power Value (EPV) compare to AFL and MET?
Challenger's Earnings Power Value (EPV) of A$34.61 can be compared against companies in the Insurance industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Earnings Power Value (EPV) for an Insurance company?
A good Earnings Power Value (EPV) depends on the Insurance industry context. However, Earnings Power Value (EPV) should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Earnings Power Value (EPV) mean?
A high Earnings Power Value (EPV) can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Bruce Greenwald's earnings power value focuses on current earnings without factoring in future growth. View historical data on Challenger and its competitors. Challenger's current Earnings Power Value (EPV) is A$34.61. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Challenger stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Challenger (ASX:CGF) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is A$4.11, compared to a current price of A$9.82 — trading 138.9% above its estimated fair value. The current Earnings Power Value (EPV) is A$34.61. Challenger's overall GF Score™ is 59/100 with 8 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Earnings Power Value (EPV) calculated?
Earnings Power Value (EPV) is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Challenger (ASX:CGF), the current Earnings Power Value (EPV) is A$34.61 as of Jun25. 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 Challenger (ASX:CGF) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Challenger stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of A$9.82 is trading 138.9% above its estimated GF Value™ of A$4.11. GuruFocus considers Challenger to be Significantly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for ASX:CGF:

  • Earnings Power Value (EPV): A$34.61
  • GF Value™: A$4.11 vs. price of A$9.82 (138.9% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 59/100 with 8 warning signs

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


Challenger Business Description

Address 5 Martin Place, Level 2, Sydney, NSW, AUS, 2000
Challenger's core business is selling annuity products in the Australian retirement market and, since November 2016, selling Australian dollar-denominated annuities into Japan's large retirement market. The firm's annuity products provide investors guaranteed regular payments over an agreed term for an upfront lump sum investment and is designed primarily to protect investors from the longevity risk of outliving their savings. Challenger also operates a funds management business, Fidante Partners, which has minority stakes in several boutique global investment managers, and Challenger Investment Management, which primarily manages investments supporting its annuities business.
59GF Score

Get the complete analysis for ASX:CGF

Earnings Power Value (EPV) is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

A$9.82
Price
A$4.11
GF Value