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Ellsworth Growth andome FundECF -0.32%38 Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is -3.14% as of Sep. 2025. GuruFocus rates ECF with a GF Score™ of 38/100. The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,175 Asset Management companies, Ellsworth Growth andome Fund ranks worse than 75.49% on this metric.
Yacktman defines forward rate of return as the normalized free cash flow yield plus real growth plus inflation. Ellsworth Growth andome Fund's forward rate of return for was -3.14%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Ellsworth Growth andome Fund's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % or its related term are showing as below:
ECF'
s Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -5.94 Med: 2.44 Max: 8.6
Current: -3.14
During the past 13 years, Ellsworth Growth andome Fund's highest Forward Rate of Return was 8.60. The lowest was -5.94. And the median was 2.44.
ECF's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is ranked worse than 75.49% of 1175
companies
in the Asset Management industry
Industry Median: 4.44
vs ECF: -3.14
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.
Ellsworth Growth andome Fund (AMEX:ECF) 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 Book Value 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.
Ellsworth Growth andome Fund Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Related Terms
Ellsworth Growth andome Fund Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Ellsworth Growth andome Fund'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.
Ellsworth Growth andome Fund Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Chart
ECF vs DHF, GGT, BSL: Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Comparison
For the Asset Management subindustry, Ellsworth Growth andome Fund'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.
Ellsworth Growth andome Fund Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % vs Asset Management Industry
For the Asset Management industry and Financial Services sector, Ellsworth Growth andome Fund's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Ellsworth Growth andome Fund's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % falls into.
Ellsworth Growth andome Fund 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).
* 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 -3.14% mean?
Ellsworth Growth andome Fund (ECF) has a Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of -3.14% 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 Ellsworth Growth andome Fund and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Ellsworth Growth andome Fund ranks #887 out of 1175 companies in the Asset Management industry, placing it in the top 75.5%.
Is Ellsworth Growth andome Fund's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % too high?
Ellsworth Growth andome Fund's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is -3.14%. Based on the distribution chart, Ellsworth Growth andome Fund ranks #887 out of 1175 companies in the Asset Management industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Ellsworth Growth andome Fund has a GF Score™ of 38/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Ellsworth Growth andome Fund's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % compare to DHF and GGT?
According to the Asset Management industry distribution chart, Ellsworth Growth andome Fund ranks #887 out of 1175 companies for Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %. This places Ellsworth Growth andome Fund in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 4.44. 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 Asset Management company?
The median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % among Asset Management companies is 4.44, based on 1,175 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. 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 Ellsworth Growth andome Fund and its competitors. For the Asset Management industry, the median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 4.44 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Ellsworth Growth andome Fund's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is -3.14%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Ellsworth Growth andome Fund stock overvalued right now?
Ellsworth Growth andome Fund (ECF) has a current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of -3.14%. The current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is -3.14%. Ellsworth Growth andome Fund's overall GF Score™ is 38/100 with 2 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 Ellsworth Growth andome Fund (ECF), the current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is -3.14% 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.
Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd operate as a closed-end, diversified management investment company. Its investment objective is to provide income and the potential for capital appreciation, which objectives the Fund considers to be relatively equal over the long term due to the nature of the securities in which it invests. The company invests in convertible and equity securities. It invests in various sectors, such as healthcare, financial services, computer software and services, energy and utilities, real estate investment trusts, semiconductors, telecommunications, business services, food and beverage, consumer products, transportation, consumer services among others.
38GF Score
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