Standard Life plc (SDLF.L) stock analysis

In our weekly check, Standard Life plc is graded C (A to F). Of 22 checks on debt, profit, cash flow and trend: 15 pass, warnings: 1, red flags: 6.

About Standard Life plc

Standard Life plc is a Financial Services company (Insurance - Life) based in the United Kingdom, listed on LSE as SDLF.L.

What our checks show for SDLF.L

Red flags

• Analysts expect revenue to shrink about 38.2% a year.
• Earnings per share fell 44.5% a year over the last 3 years.
• The company is losing money: the net margin is -1.2%.
• Standard Life plc pays a dividend while losing money: it is funded from reserves or debt.
• Return on capital (ROCE) is zero or negative: the business does not earn on the money put into it.

Warning signs

• The stock has fallen as much as 49% from a peak. Would you have held through that?

Strengths

• The net margin rose by 2.2 points over 5 years, to -1.2%.
• The gross margin is 87.3% and has risen by 20.3 points: pricing power is holding.
• Operating cash flow is 8.68x net profit: the profit arrives as real cash.
• Analysts expect earnings per share to grow about 20.2% a year over the next years.
• Analysts expect the net margin to improve by 11.4 points from today's -1.2%.
• Free cash flow is 10.3% of revenue: cash for dividends, buybacks or growth.

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Questions

What grade does Standard Life plc (SDLF.L) have?

In our weekly check, Standard Life plc is graded C (A to F). Of 22 checks on debt, profit, cash flow and trend: 15 pass, warnings: 1, red flags: 6. The grade is a risk check, not a buy or sell recommendation.

What are the main risks of SDLF.L stock?

This week's biggest flags for Standard Life plc: Weak revenue forecast, Weak EPS growth, Thin margins. In total 7 of 22 checks show a warning or a red flag.

What does Standard Life plc do?

Standard Life plc is a Financial Services company (Insurance - Life) based in the United Kingdom, listed on LSE as SDLF.L.

The grade is a risk check, not a price forecast, and not investment advice. In our 10-year test (S&P 500, 2016-2026), stocks we graded A or B fell more than 30% 2-3 times less often than D or F, without a lower average return.

Updated 2026-10-24

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