Great-West LifecoSTU:GWS +0.11%53 ROE % is 16.77% as of Mar. 2026, which is 28% above its 10-year median of 13.15. GuruFocus rates STU:GWS with a GF Score™ of 53/100 and a GF Value™ of €32.39 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 502 Insurance companies, Great-West Lifeco ranks better than 64.14% on this metric.
The historical rank and industry rank for Great-West Lifeco's ROE % or its related term are showing as below:
STU:GWS'
s ROE % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 10.21 Med: 13.15 Max: 14.97
Current: 14.97
During the past 13 years, Great-West Lifeco's highest ROE % was 14.97%. The lowest was 10.21%. And the median was 13.15%.
STU:GWS's ROE % is ranked better than 64.14% of 502
companies
in the Insurance industry
Industry Median: 11.73
vs STU:GWS: 14.97
Great-West Lifeco (STU:GWS) ROE % Explanation
ROE % measures the rate of return on the ownership interest (shareholder's equity) of the common stock owners. It measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from every unit of shareholders' equity (also known as net assets or assets minus liabilities). ROE % shows how well a company uses investment funds to generate earnings growth. ROE %s between 15% and 20% are considered desirable.
The factors that affect a company's ROE % can be illustrated with the three-step DuPont Analysis:
Note:
The net income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data. The Revenue data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) revenue data. The same rule applies to Pre-Tax Income and Operating Income.
* In the five-step DuPont Analysis, Operating Income is only available for non-financial companies. Thus, for Insurance companies, we use EBIT as a substitution of Operating Income. For Banks, both Operating Income and EBIT is unavailable. Thus we combined Interest Burden and Operating Margin % into Pretax Margin %, and the DuPont Analysis is divided into four components instead.
* 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
Net Income is used.
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the equity multiplier when investing in high ROE % companies. Like ROA %, ROE % is calculated with only 12 months data. Fluctuations in company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective.
Asset light businesses require very few assets to generate very high earnings. Their ROE %s can be extremely high.
Great-West Lifeco ROE % Related Terms
Great-West Lifeco ROE % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Great-West Lifeco's ROE % 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 Insurance - Life subindustry, Great-West Lifeco's ROE %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROE % 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.
Great-West Lifeco ROE % vs Insurance Industry
For the Insurance industry and Financial Services sector, Great-West Lifeco's ROE % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Great-West Lifeco's ROE % 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 ROE %, the net income of the last fiscal year and the average total shareholder equity over the fiscal year are used. In calculating the quarterly data,
the net income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data.
ROE % is displayed in the 30-year financial page.
Great-West Lifeco (STU:GWS) has a ROE % of 16.77% as of Mar. 2026. Return on equity is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total equity. View historical data on Great-West Lifeco and its competitors. This is 28% above median its historical median of 13.15. Over the past decade, Great-West Lifeco's ROE % has ranged from 10.21 to 14.97. According to the industry distribution chart, Great-West Lifeco ranks #180 out of 502 companies in the Insurance industry, placing it in the top 35.9%.
Is Great-West Lifeco's ROE % too high?
Great-West Lifeco's current ROE % of 16.77% is 28% above median its 10-year median of 13.15. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 10.21 to a high of 14.97. The Insurance industry median ROE % is 11.73. Great-West Lifeco's value of 16.77% is 43% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Great-West Lifeco ranks #180 out of 502 companies in the Insurance industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Great-West Lifeco has a GF Score™ of 53/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Great-West Lifeco's ROE % compare to AFL and MET?
According to the Insurance industry distribution chart, Great-West Lifeco ranks #180 out of 502 companies for ROE %. This puts Great-West Lifeco in the upper half of its industry. The industry median ROE % is 11.73. Great-West Lifeco's value of 16.77% is 43% above this benchmark. Historically, Great-West Lifeco's own ROE % has ranged from 10.21 to 14.97 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 13.15 vs. the industry median of 11.73, Great-West Lifeco 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 ROE % for an Insurance company?
The median ROE % among Insurance companies is 11.73, based on 502 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROE % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROE % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Great-West Lifeco's current ROE % of 16.77% is 43% 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 ROE % mean?
A high ROE % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on equity is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total equity. View historical data on Great-West Lifeco and its competitors. For the Insurance industry, the median ROE % is 11.73 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Great-West Lifeco's current ROE % is 16.77%, which is 28% above median its own 10-year median of 13.15. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Great-West Lifeco stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Great-West Lifeco (STU:GWS) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is €32.39, compared to a current price of €54.88 — trading 69.4% above its estimated fair value. The current ROE % is 16.77%, which is 28% above median its 10-year median of 13.15 and 43% above the Insurance industry median of 11.73. Great-West Lifeco's overall GF Score™ is 53/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is ROE % calculated?
ROE % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Great-West Lifeco (STU:GWS), the current ROE % is 16.77% 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 Great-West Lifeco (STU:GWS) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Great-West Lifeco stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of €54.88 is trading 69.4% above its estimated GF Value™ of €32.39.
GuruFocus considers Great-West Lifeco to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for STU:GWS:
ROE %: 16.77% (28% above median its 10-year median of 13.15)
GF Value™: €32.39 vs. price of €54.88 (69.4% above fair value)
Industry Position: 43% above the Insurance median (#180 of 502)
No single metric tells the full story. See the STU:GWS stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Great-West Lifeco is one of the Big Three Canadian life insurers. The firm's Canadian business contributed around 31% of its 2025 adjusted earnings. The firm generates a further 29% of adjusted earnings from the United States, attributable to its recordkeeping business, Empower, and its US life insurance business. Great-West Lifeco also offers various products across European markets with a strong presence in the UK and Ireland, which collectively accounted for 20% of adjusted earnings, while the firm's reinsurance business accounts for the remainder. Great-West Lifeco had around CAD 3.5 trillion of assets under administration across its business segments at the end of December 2025.
53GF Score
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