ROC % measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. It is also called ROIC %. Sun Life Financial's annualized return on capital (ROC %) for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 0.69%.
As of today (2026-06-25), Sun Life Financial's WACC % is 8.08%. Sun Life Financial's ROC % is 0.99% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Sun Life Financial earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital. It will destroy value as it grows.
Sun Life Financial (TSX:SLF) ROC % Explanation
ROC % measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. It is also called ROIC %. The reason book values of debt and equity are used is because the book values are the capital the company received when issuing the debt or receiving the equity investments.
There are four key components to this definition. The first is the use of operating income or EBIT rather than net income in the numerator. The second is the tax adjustment to this operating income or EBIT, computed as a hypothetical tax based on an effective or marginal tax rate. The third is the use of book values for invested capital, rather than market values. The final is the timing difference; the capital invested is from the end of the prior year whereas the operating income or EBIT is the current year's number.
Why is ROC % important?
Because it costs money to raise capital. A firm that generates higher returns on investment than it costs the company to raise the capital needed for that investment is earning excess returns. A firm that expects to continue generating positive excess returns on new investments in the future will see its value increase as growth increases, whereas a firm that earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital will destroy value as it grows.
As of today, Sun Life Financial's WACC % is 8.08%. Sun Life Financial's ROC % is 0.99% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Sun Life Financial earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital. It will destroy value as it grows.
Be Aware
Like ROE % and ROA %, ROC % is calculated with only 12 months of 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.
Sun Life Financial ROC % Related Terms
Sun Life Financial ROC % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Sun Life Financial's ROC % 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.
Note:
The EBIT data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) data.
The tax rate is limited to between 0% and 100%.
* 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.
Sun Life Financial (TSX:SLF) has a ROC % of 0.69% as of Mar. 2026. Return on capital is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period capital. View historical data on Sun Life Financial and its competitors.
Is Sun Life Financial's ROC % too high?
Sun Life Financial's current ROC % is 0.69%. The Insurance industry median ROC % is 3.36. Sun Life Financial's value of 0.69% is 79.5% below this industry median. Overall, Sun Life Financial has a GF Score™ of 78/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Sun Life Financial's ROC % compare to BRK.A and AIG?
Sun Life Financial's ROC % of 0.69% can be compared against companies in the Insurance industry. The industry median ROC % is 3.36. Sun Life Financial's value of 0.69% is 79.5% below this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good ROC % for an Insurance company?
The median ROC % among Insurance companies is 3.36, based on 368 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROC % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROC % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Sun Life Financial's current ROC % of 0.69% is 79.5% 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 ROC % mean?
A high ROC % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on capital is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period capital. View historical data on Sun Life Financial and its competitors. For the Insurance industry, the median ROC % is 3.36 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Sun Life Financial's current ROC % is 0.69%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Sun Life Financial stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Sun Life Financial (TSX:SLF) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is C$87.00, compared to a current price of C$110.02 — trading 26.5% above its estimated fair value. The current ROC % is 0.69% and 79.5% below the Insurance industry median of 3.36. Sun Life Financial's overall GF Score™ is 78/100 with 8 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is ROC % calculated?
ROC % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Sun Life Financial (TSX:SLF), the current ROC % is 0.69% as of Mar. 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 Sun Life Financial (TSX:SLF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Sun Life Financial stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of C$110.02 is trading 26.5% above its estimated GF Value™ of C$87.00.
GuruFocus considers Sun Life Financial to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for TSX:SLF:
ROC %: 0.69%
GF Value™: C$87.00 vs. price of C$110.02 (26.5% above fair value)
Industry Position: 79.5% below the Insurance median
No single metric tells the full story. See the TSX:SLF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Sun Life Financial is one of the Big Three Canadian life insurers. The Canadian business contributed around 35% of its 2025 adjusted earnings. In that segment, the firm provides health, life insurance, and annuity products to individual and group customers. Its US business is mostly group health and contributed about 17% of the firm's adjusted earnings in 2025. Sun Life also offers life insurance and wealth products in several Asian markets with a strong presence in Hong Kong and the Philippines. The Asia segment contributed around 18% of adjusted 2024 earnings. Its asset management business had around CAD 1.2 trillion total assets under management or administration at the end of 2025 and represents around 30% of the firm's earnings.
78GF Score
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