PDFS (PDF Solutions) Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %: 0.00% (As of Mar. 2026)

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Director of Data and Quant Analytics at GuruFocus
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Founder & CEO of GuruFocus
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PDFS PDF Solutions Inc PDFS
78 GF Score
Price $54.22
GF Value $41.91
Valuation Modestly Overvalued
! 3 Warning Signs
View Full Analysis

What is PDF Solutions Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %?

PDF Solutions PDFS +2.71% 78 Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 0.00% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus rates PDFS with a GF Score™ of 78/100 and a GF Value™ of $41.91 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,370 Software companies, PDF Solutions ranks worse than 97.52% on this metric.

Yacktman defines forward rate of return as the normalized free cash flow yield plus real growth plus inflation. PDF Solutions's forward rate of return for was 0.00%.

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

PDFS' s Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -42.17   Med: -15.34   Max: 23.39
Current: -42.17

During the past 13 years, PDF Solutions's highest Forward Rate of Return was 23.39. The lowest was -42.17. And the median was -15.34.

PDFS's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is ranked worse than
97.52% of 1370 companies
in the Software industry
Industry Median: 13.425 vs PDFS: -42.17

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.


PDF Solutions  (NAS:PDFS) 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.


PDF Solutions Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Related Terms


PDF Solutions Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for PDF Solutions'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.

PDF Solutions Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Chart

PDF Solutions Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

PDF Solutions Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
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 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

PDFS vs FSLY, KC, FRSH: Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Comparison

For the Software - Application subindustry, PDF Solutions'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.


PDF Solutions Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % vs Software Industry

For the Software industry and Technology sector, PDF Solutions's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % distribution charts can be found below:

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


PDFS
78GF Score
PDF Solutions Inc PDFS
Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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PDF Solutions 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).

PDF Solutions's Forward Rate of Return of Mar. 2026 is

Forward Rate of Return=Normalized Free Cash Flow/Price+5-Year EBITDA Growth Rate
=0.3/32.71+-0.4274
=-41.82 %

* 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 0.00% mean?
PDF Solutions (PDFS) has a Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 0.00% as of Mar. 2026. Yacktman's forward rate of return equals the sum of normalized free-cash-flow yield plus earnings growth. View historical data on PDF Solutions and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, PDF Solutions ranks #1336 out of 1370 companies in the Software industry, placing it in the top 97.5%.
Is PDF Solutions' Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % too high?
PDF Solutions' current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 0.00%. Based on the distribution chart, PDF Solutions ranks #1336 out of 1370 companies in the Software industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, PDF Solutions has a GF Score™ of 78/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does PDF Solutions' Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % compare to FSLY and KC?
According to the Software industry distribution chart, PDF Solutions ranks #1336 out of 1370 companies for Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %. This places PDF Solutions in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 13.43. 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 Software company?
The median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % among Software companies is 13.43, based on 1,370 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 PDF Solutions and its competitors. For the Software industry, the median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 13.43 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. PDF Solutions's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 0.00%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is PDF Solutions stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, PDF Solutions (PDFS) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $41.91, compared to a current price of $54.22 — trading 29.4% above its estimated fair value. The current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 0.00%. PDF Solutions' overall GF Score™ is 78/100 with 3 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 PDF Solutions (PDFS), the current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 0.00% as of Mar. 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 PDF Solutions (PDFS) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, PDF Solutions stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of $54.22 is trading 29.4% above its estimated GF Value™ of $41.91. GuruFocus considers PDF Solutions to be Modestly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for PDFS:

  • Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %: 0.00%
  • GF Value™: $41.91 vs. price of $54.22 (29.4% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 78/100 with 3 warning signs

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


PDF Solutions Business Description

Other Exchanges PD9:Germany
Address 2858 De La Cruz Boulevard, Santa Clara, CA, USA, 95050
PDF Solutions Inc provides products and services designed to empower organizations across the semiconductor and electronics ecosystem to connect, collect, manage, and analyze data about design, equipment, manufacturing, and test to improve the yield and quality of their products and operational efficiency. The Company's products, services, and solutions include proprietary software, physical intellectual property (IP) for integrated circuit (IC) designs, electrical measurement hardware tools, methodologies, and professional services.
78GF Score

Get the complete analysis for PDFS

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

$54.22
Price
$41.91
GF Value