The business behind the dividend
| Measure | SSB | Median | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on equity | 8.8% | 10.6% | Net income ÷ shareholders’ equity |
| Return on capital employed | — | — | Operating income ÷ (equity + total debt) |
| Owner earnings | $762.41m | $120.90m | Net income + depreciation & amortisation − capital expenditure |
| Free cash flow | $230.59m | $155.08m | Operating cash flow − capital expenditure |
| Operating margin | 30.8% | 14.3% | Operating income ÷ revenue |
| Net margin | 23.6% | 10.1% | Net income ÷ revenue |
| Debt to equity | — | — | Total debt ÷ shareholders’ equity |
| Interest cover | — | — | Operating income ÷ interest expense |
| Current ratio | — | — | Current assets ÷ current liabilities |
| Long-term debt to working capital | — | — | Long-term debt ÷ (current assets − current liabilities) |
| Cash conversion | — | — | Operating cash flow ÷ net income |
| Accruals | 0.7% | -3.1% | (Net income − operating cash flow) ÷ total assets |
Not computed here: Cash conversion, Current ratio, Debt to equity, Long-term debt to working capital, Interest cover, Return on capital employed — why a blank is not a zero.
Ten years of it
The same measures, for every year the filings support. One year is a fact; a row is a business.
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return on equity | 8.8% | 9.1% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 9.9% | 2.6% | 7.9% | 7.6% | 3.8% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Operating margin | 30.8% | 32.7% | 32.4% | 45.3% | 55.7% | 11.4% | 39.0% | 39.5% | 39.6% | 46.2% | 39.0% |
| Net margin | 23.6% | 25.0% | 25.4% | 35.5% | 43.8% | 13.3% | 31.6% | 31.5% | 20.6% | 30.4% | 25.4% |
How it compares in banks & insurers
Among the 377 banks & insurers companies here measured on GAAP earnings, SouthState Bank pays out less than 194 of them. The median for that group is 30.6%, against this company’s 29.0%.
Closest on GAAP earnings
- Cnb Financial (CCNE) 28.9%
- Voya Financial (VOYA) 28.9%
- Jpmorgan Chase (JPM) 29.0%
- CNO Financial Group (CNO) 29.1%
Same sector and same denominator, so the figures are comparable. All 377 in banks & insurers →