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Washington FederalWFSLW 65 Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 17.39% as of Mar. 2026, which is 39% above its 10-year median of 12.47. GuruFocus rates WFSLW with a GF Score™ of 65/100. The stock has 9 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,411 Banks companies, Washington Federal ranks better than 50.82% on this metric.
Yacktman defines forward rate of return as the normalized free cash flow yield plus real growth plus inflation. Washington Federal's forward rate of return for was 17.39%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Washington Federal's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % or its related term are showing as below:
WFSLW'
s Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 8.92 Med: 12.47 Max: 20.44
Current: 15.57
During the past 13 years, Washington Federal's highest Forward Rate of Return was 20.44. The lowest was 8.92. And the median was 12.47.
WFSLW's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is ranked better than 50.82% of 1411
companies
in the Banks industry
Industry Median: 15.4
vs WFSLW: 15.57
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.
Washington Federal (NAS:WFSLW) 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.
Washington Federal Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Related Terms
Washington Federal Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Washington Federal'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.
Washington Federal Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Chart
WFSLW vs FRME, CUBI, TRMK: Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % Comparison
For the Banks - Regional subindustry, Washington Federal'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.
Washington Federal Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % vs Banks Industry
For the Banks industry and Financial Services sector, Washington Federal's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Washington Federal's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % falls into.
Washington Federal 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 17.39% mean?
Washington Federal (WFSLW) has a Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 17.39% 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 Washington Federal and its competitors. This is 39% above median its historical median of 12.47. Over the past decade, Washington Federal's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % has ranged from 8.92 to 20.44. According to the industry distribution chart, Washington Federal ranks #694 out of 1411 companies in the Banks industry, placing it in the top 49.2%.
Is Washington Federal's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % too high?
Washington Federal's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 17.39% is 39% above median its 10-year median of 12.47. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 8.92 to a high of 20.44. The Banks industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 15.40. Washington Federal's value of 17.39% is 12.9% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Washington Federal ranks #694 out of 1411 companies in the Banks industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Washington Federal has a GF Score™ of 65/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Washington Federal's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % compare to FRME and CUBI?
According to the Banks industry distribution chart, Washington Federal ranks #694 out of 1411 companies for Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %. This puts Washington Federal in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 15.40. Washington Federal's value of 17.39% is 12.9% above this benchmark. Historically, Washington Federal's own Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % has ranged from 8.92 to 20.44 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 12.47 vs. the industry median of 15.40, Washington Federal 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 a Banks company?
The median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % among Banks companies is 15.40, based on 1,411 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. Washington Federal's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 17.39% is 12.9% 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 Washington Federal and its competitors. For the Banks industry, the median Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 15.40 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Washington Federal's current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 17.39%, which is 39% above median its own 10-year median of 12.47. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Washington Federal stock overvalued right now?
Washington Federal (WFSLW) has a current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % of 17.39%. The current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 17.39%, which is 39% above median its 10-year median of 12.47 and 12.9% above the Banks industry median of 15.40. Washington Federal's overall GF Score™ is 65/100 with 9 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 Washington Federal (WFSLW), the current Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is 17.39% 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.
WaFd Inc is engaged in providing lending, depository, insurance, and other banking services to consumers, mid-sized to large businesses, and owners and developers of commercial real estate. Through the WaFd Bank, it is involved in accepting deposits from the general public and investing these funds in loans of various types, including first-lien mortgages on single-family dwellings, construction loans, land acquisition and development loans among others. The Bank also invests in certain United States government and agency obligations along with other investments and also performs insurance brokerage activities. Geographically, it operates in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, California and Texas.
65GF Score
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