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Empire CoEMLAF 77 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio is 3.90 as of Apr. 2026, which is 3800% above its 10-year median of 0.10. GuruFocus rates EMLAF with a GF Score™ of 77/100 and a GF Value™ of $34.48 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 195 Retail - Defensive companies, Empire Co ranks better than 95.38% on this metric.
Shares Outstanding (EOP) are shares that have been authorized, issued, and purchased by investors and are held by them.
3-Year Share Buyback Ratio measures the average annual proportion of a company's outstanding shares repurchased over the past three years. It is calculated as the annualized percentage change in shares outstanding from three years ago to the current year. A positive ratio may indicate share buybacks over the period, while a zero or negative ratio may reflect no repurchases or potential share issuance. Empire Co's current 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio was 3.90%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Empire Co's 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio or its related term are showing as below:
EMLAF'
s 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -10.8 Med: 0.1 Max: 5.7
Current: 3.9
During the past 13 years, Empire Co's highest 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio was 5.70%. The lowest was -10.80%. And the median was 0.10%.
EMLAF's 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio is ranked better than 95.38% of 195
companies
in the Retail - Defensive industry
Industry Median: -0.1
vs EMLAF: 3.90
Empire Co (OTCPK:EMLAF) 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio Explanation
A negative number means the company might be issuing new shares. A positive number indicates that the company is buying back shares.
Be Aware
Investors usually like share buybacks. But as pointed by Warren Buffett, only if a company buys back shares at the prices below the stock's intrinsic value, it rewards remaining shareholders. If a company buys its overvalued stocks back, it destroys shareholder value.
Empire Co 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio Related Terms
EMLAF vs KR, SFM, ACI: 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio Comparison
For the Grocery Stores subindustry, Empire Co's 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio 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 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio vs Retail - Defensive Industry
For the Retail - Defensive industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Empire Co's 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Empire Co's 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio falls into.
This is the annualized percentage change in shares outstanding from three years ago to the current year. The annualized percentage change is calculated with expontential compound based on the latest four years of annual data on Shares Outstanding (EOP).
Please click Growth Rate Calculation Example (GuruFocus) to see how GuruFocus calculates Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT)'s revenue growth rate. You can apply the same method to get the average dividends per share growth rate.
What does a 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio of 3.90 mean?
Empire Co (EMLAF) has a 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio of 3.90 as of Apr. 2026. The 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio measures the average annual proportion of a company's outstanding shares repurchased over the past three years. It is calculated as the annualized percentage change in shares outstanding from three years ago to the current year. View historical data for Empire Co and its competitors. This is 3800% above median its historical median of 0.10. According to the industry distribution chart, Empire Co ranks #9 out of 195 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, placing it in the top 4.6%.
Is Empire Co's 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio too high?
Empire Co's current 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio of 3.90 is 3800% above median its 10-year median of 0.10. Based on the distribution chart, Empire Co ranks #9 out of 195 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Empire Co has a GF Score™ of 77/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Empire Co's 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio compare to KR and SFM?
According to the Retail - Defensive industry distribution chart, Empire Co ranks #9 out of 195 companies for 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio. This places Empire Co in the top 5% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio for a Retail - Defensive company?
A good 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio depends on the Retail - Defensive industry context. However, 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio 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 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio mean?
A high 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio measures the average annual proportion of a company's outstanding shares repurchased over the past three years. It is calculated as the annualized percentage change in shares outstanding from three years ago to the current year. View historical data for Empire Co and its competitors. Empire Co's current 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio is 3.90, which is 3800% above median its own 10-year median of 0.10. 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 $34.48, compared to a current price of $35.16 — trading 2% above its estimated fair value. The current 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio is 3.90, which is 3800% above median its 10-year median of 0.10. Empire Co's overall GF Score™ is 77/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio calculated?
3-Year Share Buyback Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Empire Co (EMLAF), the current 3-Year Share Buyback Ratio is 3.90 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 $35.16 is trading 2% above its estimated GF Value™ of $34.48.
GuruFocus considers Empire Co to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for EMLAF:
3-Year Share Buyback Ratio: 3.90 (3800% above median its 10-year median of 0.10)
GF Value™: $34.48 vs. price of $35.16 (2% above fair value)
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.
77GF Score
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3-Year Share Buyback Ratio is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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