REFR (Research Frontiers) Shareholder Yield % : -10.18% (As of Jun. 2026)

Author: Vera Yuan Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
Director of Data and Quant Analytics at GuruFocus
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.
Reviewed by: Charlie Tian Charlie Tian
Charlie Tian
Charlie Tian
Founder & CEO of GuruFocus
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.

REFR Research Frontiers Inc REFR
28 GF Score
Price $0.43
GF Value $0.81
Valuation Possible Value Trap
! 5 Warning Signs
View Full Analysis

What is Research Frontiers Shareholder Yield %?

Research Frontiers REFR -1.54% 28 Shareholder Yield % is -10.18% as of Jun. 2026. GuruFocus rates REFR with a GF Score™ of 28/100 and a GF Value™ of $0.81 (Possible Value Trap). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 2,443 Hardware companies, Research Frontiers ranks worse than 87.92% on this metric.

Shareholder Yield % is how much money shareholders receive from a company that is in the form of cash dividends, net stock repurchases, and debt reduction. It is a measure of shareholder return. As of today, Research Frontiers's Shareholder Yield % was -10.18%.


Research Frontiers  (NAS:REFR) Shareholder Yield % Explanation

Shareholder Yield % is how much money shareholders receive from a company that is in the form of cash dividends, net stock repurchases, and debt reduction. The term was coined by William W. Priest of Epoch Investment Partners in a paper in 2005 entitled The Case for Shareholder Yield as a Dominant Driver of Future Equity Returns. William Priest indicated that "shareholder yield is a term that we came up with to reflect the various ways dividends can be paid to owners of a business in a publicly-traded company."

Shareholder Yield % is calculated by three components: Dividend Yield %, Buyback Yield %, and Net Debt Paydown Yield %.

Dividend Yield % shows how much a company pays out in dividends each year relative to its stock price, which is most obvious form of shareholder return.

Buyback Yield % is the net repurchase of shares outstanding over the market capital of the company. Shares repurchases also increase shareholder value by returning the money back to shareholders.

Net Debt Paydown Yield % is the change in average of four quarters of company's total debt over a company's market cap. Assuming the total value of a company remains that same, shareholder value is increased as debt is reduced.


Research Frontiers Shareholder Yield % Related Terms


Research Frontiers Shareholder Yield % Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Research Frontiers's Shareholder Yield % 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.

Research Frontiers Shareholder Yield % Chart

Research Frontiers Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Shareholder Yield %
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 0.30 -5.17 0.57 -0.70 -1.75

Research Frontiers Quarterly Data
Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26 Jun26
Shareholder Yield % 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 -1.33 -1.98 -1.75 -5.77 -8.53

REFR vs WETH, NEON, MTEK: Shareholder Yield % Comparison

For the Electronic Components subindustry, Research Frontiers's Shareholder Yield %, along with its competitors' market caps and Shareholder Yield % 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.


Research Frontiers Shareholder Yield % vs Hardware Industry

For the Hardware industry and Technology sector, Research Frontiers's Shareholder Yield % distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Research Frontiers's Shareholder Yield % falls into.


REFR
28GF Score
Research Frontiers Inc REFR
Shareholder Yield % is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Research Frontiers Shareholder Yield % Calculation

Research Frontiers's Shareholder Yield % for the quarter that ended in Jun. 2026 is calculated as:

Shareholder Yield %=Dividend Yield %+Buyback Yield %+Net Debt Paydown Yield %
=0.00 %+-7.58 %+-0.95 %
=-8.53 %

* 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.

* All the data are calculated by TTM values. Note that if a companies is traded in several exchanges, then we calculate the company level data for Shareholder Yield % using the primary share class stock data. The calculation result in definition page is for demonstration purpose only, and it's showing the share class level data. Therefore, the numbers in the calculation may differ from elsewhere if the stock is not a primary share.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Shareholder Yield % →
What does a Shareholder Yield % of -10.18% mean?
Research Frontiers (REFR) has a Shareholder Yield % of -10.18% as of Jun. 2026. Shareholder Yield is how much money shareholders receive from a company that is in the form of cash dividends, net stock repurchases, and debt reduction. View historical data on Research Frontiers and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Research Frontiers ranks #2148 out of 2443 companies in the Hardware industry, placing it in the top 87.9%.
Is Research Frontiers' Shareholder Yield % too high?
Research Frontiers' current Shareholder Yield % is -10.18%. Based on the distribution chart, Research Frontiers ranks #2148 out of 2443 companies in the Hardware industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Research Frontiers has a GF Score™ of 28/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Research Frontiers' Shareholder Yield % compare to WETH and NEON?
According to the Hardware industry distribution chart, Research Frontiers ranks #2148 out of 2443 companies for Shareholder Yield %. This places Research Frontiers in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Shareholder Yield % is 0.48. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Shareholder Yield % for a Hardware company?
The median Shareholder Yield % among Hardware companies is 0.48, based on 2,443 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Shareholder Yield % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Shareholder Yield % 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 Shareholder Yield % mean?
A high Shareholder Yield % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Shareholder Yield is how much money shareholders receive from a company that is in the form of cash dividends, net stock repurchases, and debt reduction. View historical data on Research Frontiers and its competitors. For the Hardware industry, the median Shareholder Yield % is 0.48 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Research Frontiers's current Shareholder Yield % is -10.18%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Research Frontiers stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Research Frontiers (REFR) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is $0.81, compared to a current price of $0.43 — trading 47% below its estimated fair value. The current Shareholder Yield % is -10.18%. Research Frontiers' overall GF Score™ is 28/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Shareholder Yield % calculated?
Shareholder Yield % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Research Frontiers (REFR), the current Shareholder Yield % is -10.18% 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 Research Frontiers (REFR) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Research Frontiers stock appears to be undervalued. The current stock price of $0.43 is trading 47% below its estimated GF Value™ of $0.81. GuruFocus considers Research Frontiers to be Possible Value Trap.

Key valuation signals for REFR:

  • Shareholder Yield %: -10.18%
  • GF Value™: $0.81 vs. price of $0.43 (47% below fair value)
  • GF Score™: 28/100 with 5 warning signs

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


Research Frontiers Business Description

Address 240 Crossways Park Drive, Woodbury, NY, USA, 11797-2033
Research Frontiers Inc is engaged in the development and marketing of technology and devices to control the flow of light. The company develops and licenses its patented suspended particle device light-control technology to other companies that manufacture and market the SPD-Smart chemical emulsion, the light-control film made from the chemical emulsion, the light-control panels made by laminating the film, electronics to power end-products incorporating the film, or lamination services for, and the end-products. The company's revenue source comes from the licensing of technology.
28GF Score

Get the complete analysis for REFR

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

$0.43
Price
$0.81
GF Value