Future (FRA:FNWA) ROIC %: 3.75% (As of Mar. 2026)


FRA:FNWA Future PLC FRA:FNWA
61 GF Score
Price €3.34
GF Value €9.42
Valuation Possible Value Trap
! 6 Warning Signs
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What is Future ROIC %?

Future FRA:FNWA +1.83% 61 ROIC % is 3.75% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus rates FRA:FNWA with a GF Score™ of 61/100 and a GF Value™ of €9.42 (Possible Value Trap). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review.

ROIC % measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. It is also called ROC %. Future's annualized return on invested capital (ROIC %) for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 3.75%.

As of today (2026-06-26), Future's WACC % is 8.28%. Future's ROIC % is 4.73% (calculated using TTM income statement data). Future earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital. It will destroy value as it grows.


Future  (FRA:FNWA) ROIC % Explanation

ROIC % measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. It is also called ROC %. The reason book values of debt and equity are used is because the book values are the capital the company received when issuing the debt or receiving the equity investments.

There are four key components to this definition. The first is the use of operating income or EBIT rather than net income in the numerator. The second is the tax adjustment to this operating income or EBIT, computed as a hypothetical tax based on an effective or marginal tax rate. The third is the use of book values for invested capital, rather than market values. The final is the timing difference; the capital invested is from the end of the prior year whereas the operating income or EBIT is the current year's number.

Why is ROIC % important?

Because it costs money to raise capital. A firm that generates higher returns on investment than it costs the company to raise the capital needed for that investment is earning excess returns. A firm that expects to continue generating positive excess returns on new investments in the future will see its value increase as growth increases, whereas a firm that earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital will destroy value as it grows.

As of today, Future's WACC % is 8.28%. Future's ROIC % is 4.73% (calculated using TTM income statement data). Future earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital. It will destroy value as it grows.


Be Aware

Like ROE % and ROA %, ROIC % is calculated with only 12 months of data. Fluctuations in the company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective.


Future ROIC % Related Terms


Future ROIC % Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Future's ROIC % 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.

Future ROIC % Chart

Future Annual Data
Trend Sep16 Sep17 Sep18 Sep19 Sep20 Sep21 Sep22 Sep23 Sep24 Sep25
ROIC %
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 9.12 8.71 8.09 5.97 5.95

Future Semi-Annual Data
Sep16 Mar17 Sep17 Mar18 Sep18 Mar19 Sep19 Mar20 Sep20 Mar21 Sep21 Mar22 Sep22 Mar23 Sep23 Mar24 Sep24 Mar25 Sep25 Mar26
ROIC % 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 5.35 6.54 6.07 5.62 3.75

FRA:FNWA vs NYT, WLY: ROIC % Comparison

For the Publishing subindustry, Future's ROIC %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROIC % 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.


Future ROIC % vs Media - Diversified Industry

For the Media - Diversified industry and Communication Services sector, Future's ROIC % distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Future's ROIC % falls into.


FRA:FNWA
61GF Score
Future PLC FRA:FNWA
ROIC % is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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Future ROIC % Calculation

Future's annualized Return on Invested Capital (ROIC %) for the fiscal year that ended in Sep. 2025 is calculated as:

ROIC % (A: Sep. 2025 )
=NOPAT/Average Invested Capital
=Operating Income * ( 1 - Tax Rate % )/( (Invested Capital (A: Sep. 2024 ) + Invested Capital (A: Sep. 2025 ))/ count )
=160.498 * ( 1 - 27.86% )/( (2050.729 + 1839.975)/ 2 )
=115.7832572/1945.352
=5.95 %

where

Invested Capital(A: Sep. 2024 )
=Total Assets - Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense - Excess Cash
=Total Assets - Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense - ( Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities - max(0, Total Current Liabilities - Total Current Assets+Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities))
=2035.593 - 68.648 - ( 47.314 - max(0, 272.922 - 189.138+47.314))
=2050.729

Invested Capital(A: Sep. 2025 )
=Total Assets - Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense - Excess Cash
=Total Assets - Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense - ( Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities - max(0, Total Current Liabilities - Total Current Assets+Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities))
=1880.272 - 47.896 - ( 31.777 - max(0, 179.726 - 172.127+31.777))
=1839.975

Future's annualized Return on Invested Capital (ROIC %) for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as:

ROIC % (Q: Mar. 2026 )
=NOPAT/Average Invested Capital
=Operating Income * ( 1 - Tax Rate % )/( (Invested Capital (Q: Sep. 2025 ) + Invested Capital (Q: Mar. 2026 ))/ count )
=105.184 * ( 1 - 33.7% )/( (1839.975 + 1875.55)/ 2 )
=69.736992/1857.7625
=3.75 %

where

Invested Capital(Q: Sep. 2025 )
=Total Assets - Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense - Excess Cash
=Total Assets - Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense - ( Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities - max(0, Total Current Liabilities - Total Current Assets+Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities))
=1880.272 - 47.896 - ( 31.777 - max(0, 179.726 - 172.127+31.777))
=1839.975

Invested Capital(Q: Mar. 2026 )
=Total Assets - Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense - Excess Cash
=Total Assets - Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense - ( Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities - max(0, Total Current Liabilities - Total Current Assets+Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities))
=1940.137 - 74.621 - ( 51.439 - max(0, 203.102 - 193.068+51.439))
=1875.55

Note: The Operating Income data used here is two times the semi-annual (Mar. 2026) data. The tax rate is limited to between 0% and 100%.

* 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.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about ROIC % →
What does a ROIC % of 3.75% mean?
Future (FRA:FNWA) has a ROIC % of 3.75% as of Mar. 2026. Return on invested capital is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period invested capital. View historical data on Future and its competitors.
Is Future's ROIC % too high?
Future's current ROIC % is 3.75%. The Media - Diversified industry median ROIC % is 1.41. Future's value of 3.75% is 166.9% above this industry median. Overall, Future has a GF Score™ of 61/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Future's ROIC % compare to NYT and WLY?
Future's ROIC % of 3.75% can be compared against companies in the Media - Diversified industry. The industry median ROIC % is 1.41. Future's value of 3.75% is 166.9% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good ROIC % for a Media - Diversified company?
The median ROIC % among Media - Diversified companies is 1.41, based on 1,016 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROIC % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROIC % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Future's current ROIC % of 3.75% is 166.9% 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 ROIC % mean?
A high ROIC % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on invested capital is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period invested capital. View historical data on Future and its competitors. For the Media - Diversified industry, the median ROIC % is 1.41 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Future's current ROIC % is 3.75%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Future stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Future (FRA:FNWA) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is €9.42, compared to a current price of €3.34 — trading 64.5% below its estimated fair value. The current ROIC % is 3.75% and 166.9% above the Media - Diversified industry median of 1.41. Future's overall GF Score™ is 61/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is ROIC % calculated?
ROIC % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Future (FRA:FNWA), the current ROIC % is 3.75% 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 Future (FRA:FNWA) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Future stock appears to be undervalued. The current stock price of €3.34 is trading 64.5% below its estimated GF Value™ of €9.42. GuruFocus considers Future to be Possible Value Trap.

Key valuation signals for FRA:FNWA:

  • ROIC %: 3.75%
  • GF Value™: €9.42 vs. price of €3.34 (64.5% below fair value)
  • GF Score™: 61/100 with 6 warning signs
  • Industry Position: 166.9% above the Media - Diversified median

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


Future Business Description

Other Exchanges FUTRl:UKFUTR:UK
Address Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, GBR, BA1 1UA
Future PLC is a platform for specialist media underpinned by proprietary technology and enabled by data, with diversified revenue streams. It focuses on various areas which include technology, games, films, music, and photography under brands such as Louder, Tom's Guide, PC Gamer, Digital Camera World, Marie Claire, and others. The company functions through the following divisions; the Media division which generates maximum revenue includes income from digital advertising, affiliate revenue for products, rewards, price comparison and events; and the Magazine division includes revenue associated with digital or printed magazines or bookazines from advertising, to subscriptions, to newstrade. Its reportable segments include the United Kingdom which derives key revenue, and the United States.
61GF Score

Get the complete analysis for FRA:FNWA

ROIC % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

€3.34
Price
€9.42
GF Value