SFL vs. GSL

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about SFL Corporation Ltd. (SFL) and Global Ship Lease, Inc. (GSL).

Performance

SFL vs. GSL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SFL Corporation Ltd. (SFL) and Global Ship Lease, Inc. (GSL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SFL vs. GSL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SFL SFL Corporation Ltd.	40.82%	-14.49%	-0.83%	34.55%	23.52%	39.84%	-51.90%	53.41%	-24.82%	16.81%
GSL Global Ship Lease, Inc.	7.96%	73.47%	18.09%	28.97%	-22.16%	100.35%	34.65%	78.02%	-46.55%	-22.67%

Fundamentals

Market Cap SFL : $1.43B GSL : $1.34B
EPS SFL : -$0.20 GSL : $11.65
PS Ratio SFL : 1.99 GSL : 1.75
PB Ratio SFL : 1.49 GSL : 0.74
Total Revenue (TTM) SFL : $719.75M GSL : $759.92M
Gross Profit (TTM) SFL : $239.28M GSL : $404.40M
EBITDA (TTM) SFL : $406.71M GSL : $557.27M

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SFL achieves a 40.82% return, which is significantly higher than GSL's 7.96% return. Over the past 10 years, SFL has underperformed GSL with an annualized return of 7.78%, while GSL has yielded a comparatively higher 19.22% annualized return.

SFL

• 1D: 1.79%
• 1M: -0.11%
• YTD: 40.82%
• 6M: 49.76%
• 1Y: 45.33%
• 3Y*: 14.99%
• 5Y*: 15.97%
• 10Y*: 7.78%

GSL

• 1D: 3.53%
• 1M: -9.37%
• YTD: 7.96%
• 6M: 25.54%
• 1Y: 75.36%
• 3Y*: 35.46%
• 5Y*: 29.08%
• 10Y*: 19.22%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

SFL vs. GSL — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

SFL

SFL Risk / Return Rank: 77
SFL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
SFL Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
SFL Omega Ratio Rank: 79
SFL Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
SFL Martin Ratio Rank: 75

GSL

GSL Risk / Return Rank: 91
GSL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 94
GSL Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
GSL Omega Ratio Rank: 91
GSL Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
GSL Martin Ratio Rank: 92

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

SFL vs. GSL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SFL Corporation Ltd. (SFL) and Global Ship Lease, Inc. (GSL). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	SFL	GSL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.27	2.39	-1.12
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.77	2.90	-1.13
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.27	1.41	-0.14
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.77	3.48	-1.70
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.30	11.97	-7.67
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SFL vs. GSL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SFL Sharpe Ratio is 1.27, which is lower than the GSL Sharpe Ratio of 2.39. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SFL and GSL, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	SFL	GSL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.27	2.39	-1.12
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.53	0.77	-0.24
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.23	0.34	-0.11
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.22	0.01	+0.21

Correlation

The correlation between SFL and GSL is 0.33, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

SFL vs. GSL - Dividend Comparison

SFL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.06%, more than GSL's 6.18% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SFL SFL Corporation Ltd.	8.06%	12.04%	10.47%	8.60%	9.54%	7.73%	15.92%	9.63%	13.30%	10.32%	12.12%	10.50%
GSL Global Ship Lease, Inc.	6.18%	6.06%	7.56%	7.57%	8.26%	3.27%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	7.69%

Drawdowns

SFL vs. GSL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SFL drawdown since its inception was -85.65%, smaller than the maximum GSL drawdown of -95.26%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SFL and GSL.

Drawdown Indicators

	SFL	GSL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-85.65%	-95.26%	+9.61%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-26.06%	-21.17%	-4.89%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-46.05%	-47.50%	+1.45%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-55.33%	-86.50%	+31.17%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.44%	-9.42%	-0.02%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-20.07%	-59.33%	+39.26%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	10.75%	6.15%	+4.60%

Volatility

SFL vs. GSL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for SFL Corporation Ltd. (SFL) is 8.28%, while Global Ship Lease, Inc. (GSL) has a volatility of 10.20%. This indicates that SFL experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than GSL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SFL	GSL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.28%	10.20%	-1.92%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	21.53%	20.90%	+0.63%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	35.86%	31.66%	+4.20%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	30.54%	38.07%	-7.53%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	33.65%	56.07%	-22.42%

Financials

SFL vs. GSL - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between SFL Corporation Ltd. and Global Ship Lease, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

SFL - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, SFL Corporation Ltd. reported a gross profit of 99.74M and revenue of 170.69M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 58.4%.

GSL - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Global Ship Lease, Inc. reported a gross profit of 97.38M and revenue of 190.95M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 51.0%.

SFL - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, SFL Corporation Ltd. reported an operating income of 31.81M and revenue of 170.69M, resulting in an operating margin of 18.6%.

GSL - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Global Ship Lease, Inc. reported an operating income of 87.72M and revenue of 190.95M, resulting in an operating margin of 45.9%.

SFL - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, SFL Corporation Ltd. reported a net income of -4.65M and revenue of 170.69M, resulting in a net margin of -2.7%.

GSL - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Global Ship Lease, Inc. reported a net income of 102.61M and revenue of 190.95M, resulting in a net margin of 53.7%.