SFL vs NAT

For growth investors, Nordic American Tankers Limited (NAT) is the stronger pick with -10.

7% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -19. 3% for SFL Corporation Ltd. (SFL). Nordic American Tankers Limited (NAT) offers the better valuation at 26. 6x trailing P/E (10. 4x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate SFL Corporation Ltd. (SFL) a "Hold" — based on 9 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 forward P/E, Nordic American Tankers Limited is actually cheaper at 10.

4x.

Over the past 5 years, Nordic American Tankers Limited (NAT) delivered a total return of +117.

0%, compared to +102. 6% for SFL Corporation Ltd. (SFL). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SFL returned +56. 4% versus NAT's -40. 4%. 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), Nordic American Tankers Limited (NAT) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

27β versus SFL Corporation Ltd. 's 0. 67β — meaning SFL is approximately 146% more volatile than NAT relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Nordic American Tankers Limited (NAT) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 53% versus 3% for SFL Corporation Ltd. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Nordic American Tankers Limited (NAT) is pulling ahead at -10.

7% versus -19. 3% for SFL Corporation Ltd. (SFL). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Nordic American Tankers Limited grew EPS -53. 2% year-over-year, compared to -119. 8% for SFL Corporation Ltd.. Over a 3-year CAGR, NAT leads at 21. 3% 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.

Nordic American Tankers Limited (NAT) is the more profitable company, earning 13.

3% net margin versus -3. 7% for SFL Corporation Ltd. — meaning it keeps 13. 3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: NAT leads at 22. 1% versus 19. 0% for SFL. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SFL leads at 58. 1%, 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.

On forward earnings alone, Nordic American Tankers Limited (NAT) trades at 10.

4x forward P/E versus 351. 3x for SFL Corporation Ltd. — 340. 9x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SFL: 21. 7% to $14. 50.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

SFL Corporation Ltd. (SFL) offers the highest yield at 7. 9%, versus 7. 1% for Nordic American Tankers Limited (NAT).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Nordic American Tankers Limited (NAT) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

27), 7. 1% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (NAT: -40. 4%, SFL: +56. 4%), 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 Industrials sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

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.