Return on Equity by Sector

Data Used: Value Line database, of 6177 firms

Date of Analysis: Data used is as of January 2013

can be obtained by clicking here

on which companies are included in each industry


Industry Name Number of Firms ROC Book D/E Non-cash ROE ROE
Advertising 32 11.49% 83.40% 19.43% 12.66%
Aerospace/Defense 66 19.40% 82.72% 43.36% 24.03%
Air Transport 36 17.97% 217.61% 127.33% 23.17%
Apparel 54 13.86% 46.62% 19.56% 15.99%
Auto Parts 54 17.65% 55.27% 26.19% 18.07%
Automotive 12 5.77% 130.26% 16.49% 10.02%
Bank 416 NA 125.53% 10.92% 7.46%
Bank (Midwest) 68 NA 65.94% 12.84% 9.46%
Beverage 35 14.56% 101.20% 29.39% 22.69%
Biotechnology 214 14.57% 72.65% 35.76% 2.95%
Building Materials 43 2.98% 109.19% -5.87% -4.61%
Cable TV 20 10.52% 270.15% 24.91% 19.18%
Chemical (Basic) 18 17.75% 68.45% 31.38% 23.62%
Chemical (Diversified) 33 18.12% 53.07% 24.02% 18.21%
Chemical (Specialty) 70 12.48% 73.82% 21.48% 17.51%
Coal 20 10.10% 91.28% 12.95% 10.98%
Computer Software 191 43.31% 25.81% 79.02% 25.05%
Computers/Peripherals 81 34.66% 34.67% 51.56% 32.35%
Diversified Co. 113 9.21% 187.67% 38.32% 16.24%
Drug 223 16.94% 44.99% 27.09% 19.72%
E-Commerce 64 5.46% 34.72% 14.01% 7.67%
Educational Services 33 42.33% 41.38% 15.62% 6.71%
Electric Util. (Central) 20 6.47% 126.48% 10.71% 10.45%
Electric Utility (East) 17 6.69% 121.36% 11.85% 11.29%
Electric Utility (West) 15 6.17% 117.53% 9.78% 9.37%
Electrical Equipment 64 15.98% 28.79% 22.91% 16.74%
Electronics 123 14.60% 42.64% 19.77% 14.24%
Engineering & Const 30 13.16% 25.03% 16.65% 11.29%
Entertainment 76 10.41% 80.64% 14.52% 12.11%
Entertainment Tech 42 19.51% 22.74% 13.21% 6.98%
Environmental 84 8.90% 98.70% 10.42% 9.71%
Financial Svcs. (Div.) 256 7.33% 404.71% 35.28% 9.92%
Food Processing 119 13.56% 68.75% 18.15% 15.90%
Foreign Electronics 10 5.44% 41.13% -7.41% -4.21%
Funeral Services 6 8.28% 103.45% 12.25% 11.27%
Furn/Home Furnishings 32 14.06% 47.99% 9.27% 7.93%
Healthcare Information 20 11.68% 45.24% 15.33% 9.28%
Heavy Truck & Equip 23 15.21% 152.69% 47.20% 27.32%
Homebuilding 22 7.68% 125.76% -14.54% -5.32%
Hotel/Gaming 57 10.21% 137.53% 15.13% 11.23%
Household Products 27 14.81% 67.95% 23.83% 21.33%
Human Resources 25 12.19% 23.84% 13.27% 9.68%
Industrial Services 136 9.95% 83.83% 14.68% 10.88%
Information Services 28 12.71% 110.99% 18.81% 15.79%
Insurance (Life) 32 NA 39.98% 9.72% 7.07%
Insurance (Prop/Cas.) 62 NA 23.91% 7.01% 5.46%
Internet 194 21.54% 12.02% 34.93% 13.34%
Investment Companies 31 5.87% 9.89% 5.63% 5.48%
IT Services 63 21.77% 24.97% 41.90% 22.68%
Machinery 94 13.43% 48.02% 17.26% 14.17%
Maritime 51 3.54% 154.53% 0.46% 0.61%
Med Supp Invasive 87 14.91% 46.41% 22.13% 17.15%
Med Supp Non-Invasive 143 19.94% 40.11% 34.06% 18.81%
Medical Services 118 14.44% 101.93% 24.24% 16.74%
Metal Fabricating 25 14.39% 44.83% 18.94% 14.06%
Metals & Mining (Div.) 77 25.19% 36.20% 33.08% 26.70%
Natural Gas (Div.) 31 7.36% 55.65% 9.47% 8.81%
Natural Gas Utility 27 7.04% 131.64% 8.69% 8.12%
Newspaper 14 10.99% 105.96% 20.65% 16.40%
Office Equip/Supplies 22 10.89% 79.92% 18.44% 14.20%
Oil/Gas Distribution 12 7.62% 189.90% 14.17% 13.31%
Oilfield Svcs/Equip. 81 9.50% 49.73% 13.05% 11.36%
Packaging & Container 27 11.11% 139.98% 21.05% 17.18%
Paper/Forest Products 32 11.16% 82.64% 9.76% 8.09%
Petroleum (Integrated) 26 14.65% 30.46% 20.59% 18.18%
Petroleum (Producing) 176 14.99% 41.29% 12.03% 11.28%
Pharmacy Services 18 11.53% 48.78% 15.44% 13.25%
Pipeline MLPs 53 9.50% 131.14% 15.51% 15.07%
Power 101 2.62% 134.11% -3.33% -2.51%
Precious Metals 83 11.91% 21.97% 12.92% 11.26%
Precision Instrument 82 5.78% 54.50% 17.96% 12.13%
Property Management 31 4.72% 186.36% 11.58% 8.62%
Public/Private Equity 12 8.83% 32.26% 20.74% 16.46%
Publishing 29 11.20% 121.87% 15.82% 12.56%
R.E.I.T. 127 14.58% 47.76% 14.88% 13.27%
Railroad 12 12.37% 70.25% 19.00% 17.91%
Recreation 51 9.09% 75.98% 12.73% 10.92%
Reinsurance 11 NA 15.52% -1.88% -1.07%
Restaurant 65 21.41% 87.47% 42.14% 31.69%
Retail (Hardlines) 79 14.89% 71.66% 27.29% 18.37%
Retail (Softlines) 42 30.03% 27.63% 43.82% 24.03%
Retail Automotive 19 9.57% 153.46% 23.93% 21.13%
Retail Building Supply 10 13.54% 50.69% 19.86% 18.11%
Retail Store 38 12.85% 74.07% 21.45% 18.07%
Retail/Wholesale Food 30 11.26% 110.89% 20.87% 16.33%
Securities Brokerage 27 7.09% 246.43% NA 7.22%
Semiconductor 142 22.88% 27.39% 29.89% 17.58%
Semiconductor Equip 10 11.35% 27.77% 13.98% 8.75%
Shoe 17 17.66% 7.10% 26.27% 18.02%
Steel 33 7.59% 49.73% 9.03% 8.11%
Telecom. Equipment 105 26.25% 27.71% 50.48% 15.68%
Telecom. Services 76 13.66% 64.16% 17.63% 13.81%
Telecom. Utility 23 7.49% 191.53% 18.26% 16.22%
Thrift 170 NA 19.39% 0.30% 0.66%
Tobacco 11 31.97% 216.28% 115.82% 65.87%
Toiletries/Cosmetics 14 21.44% 124.59% 61.98% 32.00%
Trucking 34 11.97% 129.94% 13.98% 11.17%
Water Utility 11 5.89% 146.00% 9.73% 9.58%
Wireless Networking 58 12.27% 90.16% 13.44% 10.28%
Total Market 6177 12.88% 90.70% 18.29% 12.89%

 



Lat updated January 2013
By Aswath Damodaran