ALE (ALLETE) Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %: 0.80% (As of Sep. 2025)

Author: Vera Yuan Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
Director of Data and Quant Analytics at GuruFocus
Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
Reviewed by: Charlie Tian Charlie Tian
Charlie Tian
Charlie Tian
Founder & CEO of GuruFocus
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.

ALE ALLETE Inc ALE
58 GF Score
Price $67.90
GF Value $60.87
! 12 Warning Signs
View Full Analysis

What is ALLETE Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %?

ALLETE ALE -0.06% 58 Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 0.80% as of Sep. 2025. GuruFocus rates ALE with a GF Score™ of 58/100 and a GF Value™ of $60.87. The stock has 12 warning signs investors should review.

Yacktman defines forward rate of return as the normalized free cash flow yield plus real growth plus inflation. ALLETE's forward rate of return for was 0.80%.

The historical rank and industry rank for ALLETE's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % or its related term are showing as below:

ALE' s Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -8.05   Med: -0.31   Max: 3.8
Current: 0.82

During the past 13 years, ALLETE's highest Forward Rate of Return was 3.80. The lowest was -8.05. And the median was -0.31.

ALE's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is not ranked
in the Utilities - Regulated industry.
Industry Median: 6.47 vs ALE: 0.82

Unlike the Earnings Yield %, the Forward Rate of Return uses the normalized Free Cash Flow of the past five years, and considers growth. The forward rate of return can be thought of as the return that investors buying the stock today can expect from it in the future.


ALLETE  (NYSE:ALE) Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Explanation

Unlike the Earnings Yield, the Forward Rate of Return uses the normalized Free Cash Flow of the past five years, and considers growth. The forward rate of return can be thought of as the return that investors buying the stock today can expect from it in the future.

For the growth part of the Forward Rate of Return calculation, GuruFocus uses the 5-year average growth rate of EBITDA per share as the growth rate, and the growth rate is always capped at 20%. For the Free Cash Flow we use per share data averaged over five years. The reason we use five years is to make it comparable to the growth rate.


Be Aware

In the Forward Rate of Return calculation, the growth rate is added directly to today's free cash flow yield. Therefore the calculation is reliable only if the company can grow at the same rate in the future as it did in the past. Investors should pay close attention to this when researching growth stocks. A more accurate measurement for return is Return on Capital.


ALLETE Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Related Terms


ALLETE Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for ALLETE's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

ALLETE Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Chart

ALLETE Annual Data
Trend Dec15 Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24
Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -3.27 -6.58 -6.11 -5.23 -0.34

ALLETE Quarterly Data
Dec20 Mar21 Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25
Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -1.25 -0.34 0.52 0.67 0.80

ALE vs SRE, AES: Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Comparison

For the Utilities - Diversified subindustry, ALLETE's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %, along with its competitors' market caps and Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


ALLETE Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % vs Utilities - Regulated Industry

For the Utilities - Regulated industry and Utilities sector, ALLETE's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where ALLETE's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % falls into.


ALE
58GF Score
ALLETE Inc ALE
Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

ALLETE Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Calculation

Forward Rate of Return is a concept that Don Yacktman uses in his investment approach. Yacktman explained the forward rate of return concept in detail in his interview with GuruFocus. Yacktman defines forward rate of return as the normalized free cash flow yield plus real growth plus inflation. He said in the interview (March 2012, when the S&P 500 was at about 1400):

If the business is stable, this calculation is fairly straightforward. For instance, on the S&P 500 we would normalize earnings. We would then calculate what percentage of those earnings are not reinvested in the underlying businesses and are therefore free. Historically, for the S&P 500, this has been just under 50% of earnings. Currently, we expect the S&P to earn about 70 on a normalized basis, a number which is far below reported earnings due to our adjusting for record high profit margins. $70 X ½ / 1400 gives you a normalized free cash flow yield of approximately 2.5%.

The historical real growth rate of the S&P 500 (companies) is about 1.5%. Assuming an inflation rate of 2.5%, the forward rate of return on an investment in the S&P 500 is about 6.5% today (2.5% free cash flow yield plus 1.5% real growth plus 2.5% inflation).

ALLETE's Forward Rate of Return of Sep. 2025 is

Forward Rate of Return=Normalized Free Cash Flow/Price+5-Year EBITDA Growth Rate
=-0.87942857/66.4+0.0212
=0.80 %

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

What does a Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 0.80% mean?
ALLETE (ALE) has a Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 0.80% as of Sep. 2025. Yacktman's forward rate of return equals the sum of normalized free-cash-flow yield plus earnings growth. View historical data on ALLETE and its competitors.
Is ALLETE's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % too high?
ALLETE's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 0.80%. The Utilities - Regulated industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 6.47. ALLETE's value of 0.80% is 87.6% below this industry median. Overall, ALLETE has a GF Score™ of 58/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does ALLETE's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % compare to SRE and AES?
ALLETE's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 0.80% can be compared against companies in the Utilities - Regulated industry. The industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 6.47. ALLETE's value of 0.80% is 87.6% below this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % for an Utilities - Regulated company?
The median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % among Utilities - Regulated companies is 6.47, based on 425 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. ALLETE's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 0.80% is 87.6% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % mean?
A high Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Yacktman's forward rate of return equals the sum of normalized free-cash-flow yield plus earnings growth. View historical data on ALLETE and its competitors. For the Utilities - Regulated industry, the median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 6.47 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. ALLETE's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 0.80%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is ALLETE stock overvalued right now?
ALLETE (ALE) has a current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 0.80%. The stock's GF Value™ is $60.87, compared to a current price of $67.90 — trading 11.5% above its estimated fair value. The current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 0.80% and 87.6% below the Utilities - Regulated industry median of 6.47. ALLETE's overall GF Score™ is 58/100 with 12 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % calculated?
Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For ALLETE (ALE), the current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 0.80% as of Sep. 2025. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Is ALLETE (ALE) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, ALLETE stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of $67.90 is trading 11.5% above its estimated GF Value™ of $60.87.

Key valuation signals for ALE:

  • Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %: 0.80%
  • GF Value™: $60.87 vs. price of $67.90 (11.5% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 58/100 with 12 warning signs
  • Industry Position: 87.6% below the Utilities - Regulated median

No single metric tells the full story. See the ALE stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


ALLETE Business Description

Address 30 West Superior Street, Duluth, MN, USA, 55802-2093
ALLETE Inc provides competitively-priced energy in America's Upper Midwest region and invests in transmission infrastructure and other energy-centric businesses. The company has two reportable segments. The first segment is Regulated Operations, which includes the company's regulated utilities, Minnesota Power and SWL&P, as well as its investment in ATC. ATC is a regulated utility based in Wisconsin that owns and maintains electric transmission assets in parts of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois. The second segment is ALLETE Clean Energy, which focuses on developing, acquiring, and operating clean and renewable energy projects.
58GF Score

Get the complete analysis for ALE

Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$67.90
Price
$60.87
GF Value