Empire CoEMLAF 78 ROA % is 4.97% as of Apr. 2026, which is 18% above its 10-year median of 4.20. GuruFocus rates EMLAF with a GF Score™ of 78/100 and a GF Value™ of $34.55 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 312 Retail - Defensive companies, Empire Co ranks worse than 69.87% on this metric.
ROA % is calculated as Net Income divided by its average Total Assets over a certain period of time. Empire Co's annualizedNet Income for the quarter that ended in Apr. 2026 was $617 Mil.
Empire Co's average Total Assets over the quarter that ended in Apr. 2026 was $12,408 Mil. Therefore, Empire Co's annualized ROA % for the quarter that ended in Apr. 2026 was 4.97%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Empire Co's ROA % or its related term are showing as below:
EMLAF'
s ROA % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.16 Med: 4.2 Max: 4.82
Current: 1.16
During the past 13 years, Empire Co's highest ROA % was 4.82%. The lowest was 1.16%. And the median was 4.20%.
EMLAF's ROA % is ranked worse than 69.87% of 312
companies
in the Retail - Defensive industry
Industry Median: 3.56
vs EMLAF: 1.16
Empire Co (OTCPK:EMLAF) ROA % Explanation
ROA % measures the rate of return on the total assets (shareholder equity plus liabilities). It measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from shareholders' equity plus its liabilities. ROA % shows how well a company uses what it has to generate earnings. ROA %s can vary drastically across industries. Therefore, ROA % should not be used to compare companies in different industries. For retailers, a ROA % of higher than 5% is expected. For example, Wal-Mart (WMT) has a ROA % of about 8% as of 2012. For banks, ROA % is close to their interest spread. A banks ROA % is typically well under 2%.
Similar to ROE, ROA % is affected by profit margins and asset turnover. This can be seen from the Du Pont Formula:
Note:
The Net Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Apr. 2026) net income data. The Revenue data used here is four times the quarterly (Apr. 2026) revenue data.
* 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.
Be Aware
Like ROE, ROA % is calculated with only 12 months data. Fluctuations in the company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective. ROA % can be affected by events such as stock buyback or issuance, and by goodwill, a company's tax rate and its interest payment. ROA % may not reflect the true earning power of the assets. A more accurate measurement is ROC % (ROC).
Many analysts argue the higher return the better. Buffett states that really high ROA % may indicate vulnerability in the durability of the competitive advantage.
E.g. Raising $43b to take on KO is impossible, but $1.7b to take on Moody's is. Although Moody's ROA % and underlying economics is far superior to Coca Cola, the durability is far weaker because of lower entry cost.
Empire Co ROA % Related Terms
Empire Co ROA % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Empire Co's ROA % 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.
For the Grocery Stores subindustry, Empire Co's ROA %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROA % 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.
Empire Co ROA % vs Retail - Defensive Industry
For the Retail - Defensive industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Empire Co's ROA % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Empire Co's ROA % falls into.
* 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 ROA %, the net income of the last fiscal year and the average total assets over the fiscal year are used. In calculating the quarterly data,
the Net Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Apr. 2026) net income data.
ROA % is displayed in the 30-year financial page.
Empire Co (EMLAF) has a ROA % of 4.97% as of Apr. 2026. Return on assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total assets. View historical data on Empire Co and its competitors. This is 18% above median its historical median of 4.20. Over the past decade, Empire Co's ROA % has ranged from 1.16 to 4.82. According to the industry distribution chart, Empire Co ranks #218 out of 312 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, placing it in the top 69.9%.
Is Empire Co's ROA % too high?
Empire Co's current ROA % of 4.97% is 18% above median its 10-year median of 4.20. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.16 to a high of 4.82. The Retail - Defensive industry median ROA % is 3.56. Empire Co's value of 4.97% is 39.6% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Empire Co ranks #218 out of 312 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Empire Co has a GF Score™ of 78/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Empire Co's ROA % compare to KR and SFM?
According to the Retail - Defensive industry distribution chart, Empire Co ranks #218 out of 312 companies for ROA %. This places Empire Co in the lower half of its industry. The industry median ROA % is 3.56. Empire Co's value of 4.97% is 39.6% above this benchmark. Historically, Empire Co's own ROA % has ranged from 1.16 to 4.82 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 4.20 vs. the industry median of 3.56, Empire Co has consistently been above 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 ROA % for a Retail - Defensive company?
The median ROA % among Retail - Defensive companies is 3.56, based on 312 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROA % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROA % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Empire Co's current ROA % of 4.97% is 39.6% above 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 ROA % mean?
A high ROA % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total assets. View historical data on Empire Co and its competitors. For the Retail - Defensive industry, the median ROA % is 3.56 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Empire Co's current ROA % is 4.97%, which is 18% above median its own 10-year median of 4.20. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Empire Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Empire Co (EMLAF) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $34.55, compared to a current price of $36.31 — trading 5.1% above its estimated fair value. The current ROA % is 4.97%, which is 18% above median its 10-year median of 4.20 and 39.6% above the Retail - Defensive industry median of 3.56. Empire Co's overall GF Score™ is 78/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is ROA % calculated?
ROA % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Empire Co (EMLAF), the current ROA % is 4.97% as of Apr. 2026. 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 Empire Co (EMLAF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Empire Co stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $36.31 is trading 5.1% above its estimated GF Value™ of $34.55.
GuruFocus considers Empire Co to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for EMLAF:
ROA %: 4.97% (18% above median its 10-year median of 4.20)
GF Value™: $34.55 vs. price of $36.31 (5.1% above fair value)
Industry Position: 39.6% above the Retail - Defensive median (#218 of 312)
No single metric tells the full story. See the EMLAF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Empire Co Ltd is a Canadian company whose key businesses are food retailing and related real estate. The Company's business operations were conducted through its two reportable segments: Food retailing and Investments and other operations. The Food retailing segment is comprised of three operating segments: Sobeys National, Farm Boy and Longo's. Food retailing consists of corporate and franchisee-owned retail food stores, and includes convenience and fuel stores, retail pharmacy stores and in-store pharmacies, as well as an e-commerce grocery-business, providing customers offerings in fresh and non-fresh grocery, fuel, pharmacy, health and beauty care and general merchandise. The Investments and other operations consists of investments in Crombie REIT, real estate partnership.
78GF Score
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