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Safe BulkersSB +1.19%64 Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 9.58% as of Jun. 2026, which is 78% below its 10-year median of 44.45. GuruFocus rates SB with a GF Score™ of 64/100 and a GF Value™ of $5.06 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 755 Transportation companies, Safe Bulkers ranks worse than 65.3% on this metric.
Yacktman defines forward rate of return as the normalized free cash flow yield plus real growth plus inflation. Safe Bulkers's forward rate of return for was 9.58%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Safe Bulkers's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % or its related term are showing as below:
SB'
s Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -0.15 Med: 44.45 Max: 60.62
Current: 4.01
During the past 13 years, Safe Bulkers's highest Forward Rate of Return was 60.62. The lowest was -0.15. And the median was 44.45.
SB's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is ranked worse than 65.3% of 755
companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 10.99
vs SB: 4.01
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.
Safe Bulkers (NYSE:SB) 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.
Safe Bulkers Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Related Terms
Safe Bulkers Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Safe Bulkers'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.
Safe Bulkers Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Chart
SB vs ASC, ESEA, PANL: Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Comparison
For the Marine Shipping subindustry, Safe Bulkers'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.
Safe Bulkers Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Safe Bulkers's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Safe Bulkers's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % falls into.
Safe Bulkers 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).
Safe Bulkers's Forward Rate of Return of Jun. 2026 is
Forward Rate of Return
=
Normalized Free Cash Flow
/
Price
+
5-Year EBITDA Growth Rate
=
1.40266667
/
6.31
+
-0.1265
=
9.58 %
* 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 9.58% mean?
Safe Bulkers (SB) has a Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 9.58% 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 Safe Bulkers and its competitors. This is 78% below median its historical median of 44.45. According to the industry distribution chart, Safe Bulkers ranks #493 out of 755 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 65.3%.
Is Safe Bulkers' Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % too high?
Safe Bulkers' current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 9.58% is 78% below median its 10-year median of 44.45. The Transportation industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 10.99. Safe Bulkers' value of 9.58% is 12.8% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Safe Bulkers ranks #493 out of 755 companies in the Transportation industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Safe Bulkers has a GF Score™ of 64/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Safe Bulkers' Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % compare to ASC and ESEA?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Safe Bulkers ranks #493 out of 755 companies for Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %. This places Safe Bulkers in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 10.99. Safe Bulkers' value of 9.58% is 12.8% below this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 44.45 vs. the industry median of 10.99, Safe Bulkers 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 Transportation company?
The median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % among Transportation companies is 10.99, based on 755 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. Safe Bulkers's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 9.58% is 12.8% 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 Safe Bulkers and its competitors. For the Transportation industry, the median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 10.99 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Safe Bulkers's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 9.58%, which is 78% below median its own 10-year median of 44.45. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Safe Bulkers stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Safe Bulkers (SB) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $5.06, compared to a current price of $8.52 — trading 68.4% above its estimated fair value. The current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 9.58%, which is 78% below median its 10-year median of 44.45 and 12.8% below the Transportation industry median of 10.99. Safe Bulkers' overall GF Score™ is 64/100 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 Safe Bulkers (SB), the current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 9.58% 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 Safe Bulkers (SB) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Safe Bulkers stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $8.52 is trading 68.4% above its estimated GF Value™ of $5.06.
GuruFocus considers Safe Bulkers to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for SB:
Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %: 9.58% (78% below median its 10-year median of 44.45)
GF Value™: $5.06 vs. price of $8.52 (68.4% above fair value)
Industry Position: 12.8% below the Transportation median (#493 of 755)
No single metric tells the full story. See the SB stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Safe Bulkers Inc is an international provider of marine drybulk transportation services, transporting bulk cargoes, particularly coal, grain, and iron ore, along international shipping routes for consumers of marine drybulk transportation services. The company employs its vessels on both period time charters and spot time charters, according to the assessment of market conditions, with consumers of marine drybulk transportation services. The company generates almost all of its revenue from Time Charters.
64GF Score
Get the complete analysis for SB
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