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China MobileFRA:CTM 84 Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 11.51% as of Jun. 2026, which is 2% below its 10-year median of 11.69. GuruFocus rates FRA:CTM with a GF Score™ of 84/100 and a GF Value™ of €9.20. The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 291 Telecommunication Services companies, China Mobile ranks worse than 52.92% on this metric.
Yacktman defines forward rate of return as the normalized free cash flow yield plus real growth plus inflation. China Mobile's forward rate of return for was 11.51%.
The historical rank and industry rank for China Mobile's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % or its related term are showing as below:
FRA:CTM'
s Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 5.64 Med: 11.69 Max: 18.87
Current: 11.64
During the past 13 years, China Mobile's highest Forward Rate of Return was 18.87. The lowest was 5.64. And the median was 11.69.
FRA:CTM's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is ranked worse than 52.92% of 291
companies
in the Telecommunication Services industry
Industry Median: 12.37
vs FRA:CTM: 11.64
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.
China Mobile (FRA:CTM) 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.
China Mobile Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Related Terms
China Mobile Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for China Mobile'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.
China Mobile Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Chart
FRA:CTM vs VZ, TMUS, T: Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Comparison
For the Telecom Services subindustry, China Mobile'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.
China Mobile Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % vs Telecommunication Services Industry
For the Telecommunication Services industry and Communication Services sector, China Mobile's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where China Mobile's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % falls into.
China Mobile 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).
China Mobile's Forward Rate of Return of Jun. 2026 is
Forward Rate of Return
=
Normalized Free Cash Flow
/
Price
+
5-Year EBITDA Growth Rate
=
-0.14
/
8.561
+
0.1043
=
8.79 %
* 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 11.51% mean?
China Mobile (FRA:CTM) has a Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 11.51% as of Jun. 2026. Yacktman's forward rate of return equals the sum of normalized free-cash-flow yield plus earnings growth. View historical data on China Mobile and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 11.69. Over the past decade, China Mobile's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % has ranged from 5.64 to 18.87. According to the industry distribution chart, China Mobile ranks #154 out of 291 companies in the Telecommunication Services industry, placing it in the top 52.9%.
Is China Mobile's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % too high?
China Mobile's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 11.51% is near median its 10-year median of 11.69. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 5.64 to a high of 18.87. The Telecommunication Services industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 12.37. China Mobile's value of 11.51% is 7% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, China Mobile ranks #154 out of 291 companies in the Telecommunication Services industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, China Mobile has a GF Score™ of 84/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does China Mobile's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % compare to VZ and TMUS?
According to the Telecommunication Services industry distribution chart, China Mobile ranks #154 out of 291 companies for Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %. This places China Mobile in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 12.37. China Mobile's value of 11.51% is 7% below this benchmark. Historically, China Mobile's own Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % has ranged from 5.64 to 18.87 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 11.69 vs. the industry median of 12.37, China Mobile has consistently been below the industry average. 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 a Telecommunication Services company?
The median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % among Telecommunication Services companies is 12.37, based on 291 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. China Mobile's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 11.51% is 7% 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 China Mobile and its competitors. For the Telecommunication Services industry, the median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 12.37 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. China Mobile's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 11.51%, which is near median its own 10-year median of 11.69. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is China Mobile stock overvalued right now?
China Mobile (FRA:CTM) has a current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 11.51%. The stock's GF Value™ is €9.20, compared to a current price of €8.56 — trading 6.9% below its estimated fair value. The current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 11.51%, which is near median its 10-year median of 11.69 and 7% below the Telecommunication Services industry median of 12.37. China Mobile's overall GF Score™ is 84/100 with 5 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 China Mobile (FRA:CTM), the current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 11.51% as of Jun. 2026. 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 China Mobile (FRA:CTM) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, China Mobile stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of €8.56 is trading 6.9% below its estimated GF Value™ of €9.20.
Key valuation signals for FRA:CTM:
Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %: 11.51% (near median its 10-year median of 11.69)
GF Value™: €9.20 vs. price of €8.56 (6.9% below fair value)
Industry Position: 7% below the Telecommunication Services median (#154 of 291)
No single metric tells the full story. See the FRA:CTM stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
China Mobile is not only the largest telecom operator in China by the number of mobile subscribers (1 billion) but also the largest in the world. It has 60% of the total wireless market in China and over 50% of the fixed-line broadband market. The firm has largely rolled out its 5G network, having launched 5G service in late 2019. It is doing some 5G network sharing with China Broadnet at 700 MHz and also resells its 3G/4G/5G network through China Broadnet. Growth is being generated through internet data centers where it has the second-largest network in China and through Cloud Services. The company issued stock on the A-share market in 2022 and completed its first buyback of H-shares.
84GF Score
Get the complete analysis for FRA:CTM
Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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