ROIC % measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. It is also called ROC %. Empire Co's annualized return on invested capital (ROIC %) for the quarter that ended in Apr. 2026 was 6.52%.
As of today (2026-06-25), Empire Co's WACC % is 2.74%. Empire Co's ROIC % is 6.52% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Empire Co generates higher returns on investment than it costs the company to raise the capital needed for that investment. It 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.
Empire Co (OTCPK:EMLAF) ROIC % Explanation
ROIC % measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. It is also called ROC %. 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 ROIC % 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, Empire Co's WACC % is 2.74%. Empire Co's ROIC % is 6.52% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Empire Co generates higher returns on investment than it costs the company to raise the capital needed for that investment. It 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.
Be Aware
Like ROE % and ROA %, ROIC % 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.
Empire Co ROIC % Related Terms
Empire Co ROIC % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Empire Co's ROIC % 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 ROIC %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROIC % 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 ROIC % vs Retail - Defensive Industry
For the Retail - Defensive industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Empire Co's ROIC % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Empire Co's ROIC % falls into.
Note:
The Operating Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Apr. 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.
Empire Co (EMLAF) has a ROIC % of 6.52% as of Apr. 2026. Return on invested capital is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period invested capital. View historical data on Empire Co and its competitors.
Is Empire Co's ROIC % too high?
Empire Co's current ROIC % is 6.52%. The Retail - Defensive industry median ROIC % is 5.54. Empire Co's value of 6.52% is 17.7% above this industry median. 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 ROIC % compare to KR and SFM?
Empire Co's ROIC % of 6.52% can be compared against companies in the Retail - Defensive industry. The industry median ROIC % is 5.54. Empire Co's value of 6.52% is 17.7% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good ROIC % for a Retail - Defensive company?
The median ROIC % among Retail - Defensive companies is 5.54, based on 309 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROIC % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROIC % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Empire Co's current ROIC % of 6.52% is 17.7% 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 ROIC % mean?
A high ROIC % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on invested capital is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period invested capital. View historical data on Empire Co and its competitors. For the Retail - Defensive industry, the median ROIC % is 5.54 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Empire Co's current ROIC % is 6.52%. 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 ROIC % is 6.52% and 17.7% above the Retail - Defensive industry median of 5.54. 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 ROIC % calculated?
ROIC % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Empire Co (EMLAF), the current ROIC % is 6.52% 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:
ROIC %: 6.52%
GF Value™: $34.55 vs. price of $36.31 (5.1% above fair value)
Industry Position: 17.7% above the Retail - Defensive median
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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