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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.
Value LineVALU +3.15%72 Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 0.00% as of Apr. 2026. GuruFocus rates VALU with a GF Score™ of 72/100 and a GF Value™ of $36.20 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 515 Capital Markets companies, Value Line ranks better than 85.05% on this metric.
Yacktman defines forward rate of return as the normalized free cash flow yield plus real growth plus inflation. Value Line's forward rate of return for was 0.00%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Value Line's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % or its related term are showing as below:
VALU'
s Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -8.18 Med: -2.66 Max: 24.13
Current: 24.13
During the past 13 years, Value Line's highest Forward Rate of Return was 24.13. The lowest was -8.18. And the median was -2.66.
VALU's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is ranked better than 85.05% of 515
companies
in the Capital Markets industry
Industry Median: 9.58
vs VALU: 24.13
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.
Value Line (NAS:VALU) 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.
Value Line Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Related Terms
Value Line Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Value Line'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.
Value Line Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Chart
VALU vs DTCX, OTCM, MKTW: Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Comparison
For the Financial Data & Stock Exchanges subindustry, Value Line'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.
Value Line Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % vs Capital Markets Industry
For the Capital Markets industry and Financial Services sector, Value Line's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Value Line's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % falls into.
Value Line 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).
Value Line's Forward Rate of Return of Apr. 2026 is
Forward Rate of Return
=
Normalized Free Cash Flow
/
Price
+
5-Year EBITDA Growth Rate
=
1.56019048
/
34.54
+
0.2
=
24.52 %
* 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?
Value Line (VALU) has a Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 0.00% as of Apr. 2026. Yacktman's forward rate of return equals the sum of normalized free-cash-flow yield plus earnings growth. View historical data on Value Line and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Value Line ranks #77 out of 515 companies in the Capital Markets industry, placing it in the top 15%.
Is Value Line's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % too high?
Value Line's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 0.00%. Based on the distribution chart, Value Line ranks #77 out of 515 companies in the Capital Markets industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Value Line has a GF Score™ of 72/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Value Line's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % compare to DTCX and OTCM?
According to the Capital Markets industry distribution chart, Value Line ranks #77 out of 515 companies for Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %. This places Value Line in the top 15% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 9.58. 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 Capital Markets company?
The median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % among Capital Markets companies is 9.58, based on 515 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 Value Line and its competitors. For the Capital Markets industry, the median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 9.58 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Value Line'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 Value Line stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Value Line (VALU) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $36.20, compared to a current price of $39.00 — trading 7.7% above its estimated fair value. The current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 0.00%. Value Line's overall GF Score™ is 72/100 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 Value Line (VALU), the current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 0.00% as of Apr. 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 Value Line (VALU) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Value Line stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $39.00 is trading 7.7% above its estimated GF Value™ of $36.20.
GuruFocus considers Value Line to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for VALU:
Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %: 0.00%
GF Value™: $36.20 vs. price of $39.00 (7.7% above fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the VALU stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Value Line Inc is a U.S based company. It produces investment periodicals based on underlying research and making available copyright data, including ranking system and other information, to third parties under written agreements for use in third-party managed and marketed investment products and for other purposes. The company markets under brands including Value Line, the Value Line logo, The Value Line Investment Survey, Smart Research, Smarter Investing and a trusted name in Investment Research. Its only operating segment being Publishing.
72GF Score
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