Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.
ePlusPLUS -4.45%83 Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 4.88% as of Jun. 2026, which is 56% below its 10-year median of 10.98. GuruFocus rates PLUS with a GF Score™ of 83/100 and a GF Value™ of $86.95 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,374 Software companies, ePlus ranks worse than 68.56% on this metric.
Yacktman defines forward rate of return as the normalized free cash flow yield plus real growth plus inflation. ePlus's forward rate of return for was 4.88%.
The historical rank and industry rank for ePlus's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % or its related term are showing as below:
PLUS'
s Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 3.67 Med: 10.98 Max: 18.61
Current: 4.44
During the past 13 years, ePlus's highest Forward Rate of Return was 18.61. The lowest was 3.67. And the median was 10.98.
PLUS's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is ranked worse than 68.56% of 1374
companies
in the Software industry
Industry Median: 13.27
vs PLUS: 4.44
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.
ePlus (NAS:PLUS) 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.
ePlus Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Related Terms
ePlus Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for ePlus'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.
PLUS vs SPSC, BRZE, PDFS: Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Comparison
For the Software - Application subindustry, ePlus'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.
ePlus Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % vs Software Industry
For the Software industry and Technology sector, ePlus's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where ePlus's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % falls into.
ePlus 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 4.88% mean?
ePlus (PLUS) has a Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 4.88% 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 ePlus and its competitors. This is 56% below median its historical median of 10.98. Over the past decade, ePlus' Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % has ranged from 3.67 to 18.61. According to the industry distribution chart, ePlus ranks #942 out of 1374 companies in the Software industry, placing it in the top 68.6%.
Is ePlus' Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % too high?
ePlus' current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 4.88% is 56% below median its 10-year median of 10.98. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.67 to a high of 18.61. The Software industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 13.27. ePlus' value of 4.88% is 63.2% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, ePlus ranks #942 out of 1374 companies in the Software industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, ePlus has a GF Score™ of 83/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does ePlus' Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % compare to SPSC and BRZE?
According to the Software industry distribution chart, ePlus ranks #942 out of 1374 companies for Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %. This places ePlus in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 13.27. ePlus' value of 4.88% is 63.2% below this benchmark. Historically, ePlus' own Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % has ranged from 3.67 to 18.61 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 10.98 vs. the industry median of 13.27, ePlus 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 Software company?
The median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % among Software companies is 13.27, based on 1,374 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. ePlus's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 4.88% is 63.2% 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 ePlus and its competitors. For the Software industry, the median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 13.27 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. ePlus's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 4.88%, which is 56% below median its own 10-year median of 10.98. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is ePlus stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, ePlus (PLUS) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $86.95, compared to a current price of $90.35 — trading 3.9% above its estimated fair value. The current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 4.88%, which is 56% below median its 10-year median of 10.98 and 63.2% below the Software industry median of 13.27. ePlus' overall GF Score™ is 83/100 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 ePlus (PLUS), the current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 4.88% 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 ePlus (PLUS) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, ePlus stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $90.35 is trading 3.9% above its estimated GF Value™ of $86.95.
GuruFocus considers ePlus to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for PLUS:
Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %: 4.88% (56% below median its 10-year median of 10.98)
GF Value™: $86.95 vs. price of $90.35 (3.9% above fair value)
Industry Position: 63.2% below the Software median (#942 of 1374)
No single metric tells the full story. See the PLUS stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
ePlus Inc is a provider of technology solutions across the IT spectrum, spanning security, cloud, data center, networking, collaboration, AI, service provider, and critical infrastructure, and emerging solutions, to domestic and foreign organizations across all industry segments. Its solutions leverage a broad range of professional, consultative, and managed services across the technology spectrum. The company possesses top-level engineering certifications with a broad range of IT technologies that enable the company to offer multi-vendor IT solutions that are optimized for each of its customers' specific requirements. It also offers a wide portfolio of technology and other capital asset financing solutions to customers across commercial and government enterprises, designing programs.
83GF Score
Get the complete analysis for PLUS
Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
Quick Browse
Personalize
Premium Gurus 
Create New Portfolio
PLUS has been successfully added to your 
