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Franklin Universal TrustFT -0.26%30 Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 6.35% as of Aug. 2025, which is 11% above its 10-year median of 5.71. GuruFocus rates FT with a GF Score™ of 30/100. The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,175 Asset Management companies, Franklin Universal Trust ranks better than 57.7% on this metric.
Yacktman defines forward rate of return as the normalized free cash flow yield plus real growth plus inflation. Franklin Universal Trust's forward rate of return for was 6.35%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Franklin Universal Trust's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % or its related term are showing as below:
FT'
s Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 4.49 Med: 5.71 Max: 7.21
Current: 6.53
During the past 9 years, Franklin Universal Trust's highest Forward Rate of Return was 7.21. The lowest was 4.49. And the median was 5.71.
FT's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is ranked better than 57.7% of 1175
companies
in the Asset Management industry
Industry Median: 4.44
vs FT: 6.53
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.
Franklin Universal Trust (NYSE:FT) 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.
Franklin Universal Trust Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Related Terms
Franklin Universal Trust Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Franklin Universal Trust'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.
Franklin Universal Trust Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Chart
FT vs ETX, SCM, IDE: Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Comparison
For the Asset Management subindustry, Franklin Universal Trust'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.
Franklin Universal Trust Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % vs Asset Management Industry
For the Asset Management industry and Financial Services sector, Franklin Universal Trust's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Franklin Universal Trust's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % falls into.
Franklin Universal Trust 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 6.35% mean?
Franklin Universal Trust (FT) has a Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 6.35% as of Aug. 2025. Yacktman's forward rate of return equals the sum of normalized free-cash-flow yield plus earnings growth. View historical data on Franklin Universal Trust and its competitors. This is 11% above median its historical median of 5.71. Over the past decade, Franklin Universal Trust's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % has ranged from 4.49 to 7.21. According to the industry distribution chart, Franklin Universal Trust ranks #497 out of 1175 companies in the Asset Management industry, placing it in the top 42.3%.
Is Franklin Universal Trust's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % too high?
Franklin Universal Trust's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 6.35% is 11% above median its 10-year median of 5.71. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 4.49 to a high of 7.21. The Asset Management industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 4.44. Franklin Universal Trust's value of 6.35% is 43% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Franklin Universal Trust ranks #497 out of 1175 companies in the Asset Management industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Franklin Universal Trust has a GF Score™ of 30/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Franklin Universal Trust's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % compare to ETX and SCM?
According to the Asset Management industry distribution chart, Franklin Universal Trust ranks #497 out of 1175 companies for Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %. This puts Franklin Universal Trust in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 4.44. Franklin Universal Trust's value of 6.35% is 43% above this benchmark. Historically, Franklin Universal Trust's own Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % has ranged from 4.49 to 7.21 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 5.71 vs. the industry median of 4.44, Franklin Universal Trust has consistently been above 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 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. Franklin Universal Trust's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 6.35% is 43% above 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 Franklin Universal Trust 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. Franklin Universal Trust's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 6.35%, which is 11% above median its own 10-year median of 5.71. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Franklin Universal Trust stock overvalued right now?
Franklin Universal Trust (FT) has a current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 6.35%. The current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 6.35%, which is 11% above median its 10-year median of 5.71 and 43% above the Asset Management industry median of 4.44. Franklin Universal Trust's overall GF Score™ is 30/100 with 7 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 Franklin Universal Trust (FT), the current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 6.35% as of Aug. 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.
Franklin Universal Trust is a closed-end management investment company focused on providing high current income while preserving capital. Its secondary objective is to achieve income growth through dividend increases and capital appreciation. The fund invests in two asset classes: high-yield bonds and utility stocks. It applies fundamental research to build a diversified high-yield bond portfolio and targets utility companies with attractive dividend yields and a history of increasing dividends.
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