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General American Investors CoGAM +0.16%59 Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 7.19% as of Dec. 2025, which is 13% above its 10-year median of 6.39. GuruFocus rates GAM with a GF Score™ of 59/100 and a GF Value™ of $67.61 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,171 Asset Management companies, General American Investors Co ranks better than 60.29% on this metric.
Yacktman defines forward rate of return as the normalized free cash flow yield plus real growth plus inflation. General American Investors Co's forward rate of return for was 7.19%.
The historical rank and industry rank for General American Investors Co's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % or its related term are showing as below:
GAM'
s Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 4.75 Med: 6.39 Max: 7.19
Current: 7.19
During the past 10 years, General American Investors Co's highest Forward Rate of Return was 7.19. The lowest was 4.75. And the median was 6.39.
GAM's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is ranked better than 60.29% of 1171
companies
in the Asset Management industry
Industry Median: 4.44
vs GAM: 7.19
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.
General American Investors Co (NYSE:GAM) 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.
General American Investors Co Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Related Terms
General American Investors Co Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for General American Investors Co'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.
General American Investors Co Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Chart
GAM vs CET, TRIN, BST: Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Comparison
For the Asset Management subindustry, General American Investors Co'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.
General American Investors Co Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % vs Asset Management Industry
For the Asset Management industry and Financial Services sector, General American Investors Co's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where General American Investors Co's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % falls into.
General American Investors Co 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 7.19% mean?
General American Investors Co (GAM) has a Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 7.19% as of Dec. 2025. Yacktman's forward rate of return equals the sum of normalized free-cash-flow yield plus earnings growth. View historical data on General American Investors Co and its competitors. This is 13% above median its historical median of 6.39. Over the past decade, General American Investors Co's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % has ranged from 4.75 to 7.19. According to the industry distribution chart, General American Investors Co ranks #465 out of 1171 companies in the Asset Management industry, placing it in the top 39.7%.
Is General American Investors Co's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % too high?
General American Investors Co's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 7.19% is 13% above median its 10-year median of 6.39. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 4.75 to a high of 7.19. The Asset Management industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 4.44. General American Investors Co's value of 7.19% is 61.9% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, General American Investors Co ranks #465 out of 1171 companies in the Asset Management industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, General American Investors Co has a GF Score™ of 59/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does General American Investors Co's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % compare to CET and TRIN?
According to the Asset Management industry distribution chart, General American Investors Co ranks #465 out of 1171 companies for Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %. This puts General American Investors Co in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 4.44. General American Investors Co's value of 7.19% is 61.9% above this benchmark. Historically, General American Investors Co's own Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % has ranged from 4.75 to 7.19 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 6.39 vs. the industry median of 4.44, General American Investors Co 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 1,171 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. General American Investors Co's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 7.19% is 61.9% 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 General American Investors Co 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. General American Investors Co's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 7.19%, which is 13% above median its own 10-year median of 6.39. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is General American Investors Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, General American Investors Co (GAM) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $67.61, compared to a current price of $67.89 — trading 0.4% above its estimated fair value. The current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 7.19%, which is 13% above median its 10-year median of 6.39 and 61.9% above the Asset Management industry median of 4.44. General American Investors Co's overall GF Score™ is 59/100 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 General American Investors Co (GAM), the current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 7.19% as of Dec. 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 General American Investors Co (GAM) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, General American Investors Co stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $67.89 is trading 0.4% above its estimated GF Value™ of $67.61.
GuruFocus considers General American Investors Co to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for GAM:
Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %: 7.19% (13% above median its 10-year median of 6.39)
GF Value™: $67.61 vs. price of $67.89 (0.4% above fair value)
Industry Position: 61.9% above the Asset Management median (#465 of 1171)
No single metric tells the full story. See the GAM stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
General American Investors Co Inc is a closed-end, diversified management investment company. The primary investment objective of the company is long-term capital appreciation through investment in companies with above-average growth potential. It focuses on equity securities with growth potential at reasonable valuations. The company invests principally in common stocks believed by management to have growth potential.
59GF Score
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