ATHS vs GL vs CNO vs RGA

For growth investors, Athene Holding Ltd.

7. 250% Fixe (ATHS) is the stronger pick with 24. 1% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 0. 9% for CNO Financial Group, Inc. (CNO). Athene Holding Ltd. 7. 250% Fixe (ATHS) offers the better valuation at 1. 8x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA) a "Buy" — based on 22 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Athene Holding Ltd.

7. 250% Fixe (ATHS) is the cheapest at 1. 8x versus CNO Financial Group, Inc. at 19. 6x. On forward P/E, Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated is actually cheaper at 8. 0x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated wins at 0. 35x versus CNO Financial Group, Inc. 's 4. 77x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, CNO Financial Group, Inc.

(CNO) delivered a total return of +80. 1%, compared to +14. 1% for Athene Holding Ltd. 7. 250% Fixe (ATHS). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: GL returned +173. 3% versus ATHS's +14. 1%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Athene Holding Ltd.

7. 250% Fixe (ATHS) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 18β versus CNO Financial Group, Inc. 's 0. 77β — meaning CNO is approximately 337% more volatile than ATHS relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 42% versus 154% for CNO Financial Group, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Athene Holding Ltd.

7. 250% Fixe (ATHS) is pulling ahead at 24. 1% versus 0. 9% for CNO Financial Group, Inc. (CNO). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated grew EPS 64. 9% year-over-year, compared to -37. 2% for CNO Financial Group, Inc.. Over a 3-year CAGR, RGA leads at 12. 8% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Globe Life Inc.

(GL) is the more profitable company, earning 19. 4% net margin versus 5. 1% for CNO Financial Group, Inc. — meaning it keeps 19. 4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: GL leads at 24. 4% versus 0. 0% for ATHS. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CNO leads at 44. 8%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential.

By this metric, Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 35x versus CNO Financial Group, Inc. 's 4. 77x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA) trades at 8. 0x forward P/E versus 10. 4x for CNO Financial Group, Inc. — 2. 4x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for RGA: 13. 7% to $239. 40.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Athene Holding Ltd. 7. 250% Fixe (ATHS) offers the highest yield at 3. 3%, versus 0. 7% for Globe Life Inc. (GL).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Athene Holding Ltd.

7. 250% Fixe (ATHS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 18), 3. 3% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (ATHS: +14. 1%, CNO: +172. 3%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

Both stocks operate in the Financial Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

In terms of investment character: ATHS is a small-cap high-growth stock; GL is a mid-cap deep-value stock; CNO is a small-cap quality compounder stock; RGA is a mid-cap deep-value stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.