Return on Equity by Sector

Data Used: Value Line database, of 7364 firms

Date of Analysis: Data used is as of January 2008

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 40 11.92% 120.68% 16.81% 9.93%
Aerospace/Defense 69 17.43% 65.97% 22.98% 17.32%
Air Transport 49 33.07% 290.83% -178.86% 36.59%
Apparel 57 15.54% 47.79% 17.91% 14.55%
Auto & Truck 28 15.65% 236.69% 31.99% 13.71%
Auto Parts 56 25.26% 218.62% -53.99% -15.52%
Bank 504 NA 125.45% 18.41% 13.14%
Bank (Canadian) 8 NA 28.83% 22.35% 19.04%
Bank (Midwest) 38 NA 139.52% 25.63% 16.35%
Beverage 44 18.72% 73.83% 25.88% 22.33%
Biotechnology 103 14.57% 40.37% 21.01% 11.11%
Building Materials 49 16.15% 77.47% 28.70% 23.84%
Cable TV 23 9.79% 120.61% 6.13% 5.37%
Canadian Energy 13 22.49% 61.41% 20.15% 19.17%
Chemical (Basic) 19 19.93% 79.49% 24.71% 20.47%
Chemical (Diversified) 37 25.23% 58.21% 25.55% 20.26%
Chemical (Specialty) 90 18.77% 61.72% 19.42% 15.47%
Coal 18 27.03% 100.83% 30.23% 26.12%
Computer Software/Svcs 376 36.57% 20.54% 43.28% 20.03%
Computers/Peripherals 144 31.61% 30.22% 40.54% 18.03%
Diversified Co. 107 18.02% 61.22% 21.63% 16.84%
Drug 368 24.85% 29.99% 27.17% 17.42%
E-Commerce 56 15.89% 16.33% 12.45% 5.05%
Educational Services 39 56.00% 11.16% 45.34% 21.70%
Electric Util. (Central) 25 10.30% 137.53% 10.59% 9.97%
Electric Utility (East) 27 11.44% 134.95% 13.45% 12.67%
Electric Utility (West) 17 12.42% 107.21% 12.37% 11.35%
Electrical Equipment 86 17.59% 302.33% 43.47% 18.47%
Electronics 179 13.06% 30.47% 9.44% 6.79%
Entertainment 93 9.77% 61.79% 8.80% 7.77%
Entertainment Tech 38 -6.92% 13.35% -32.19% -8.82%
Environmental 89 12.60% 137.28% 11.98% 10.96%
Financial Svcs. (Div.) 294 10.69% 333.44% 27.45% 14.54%
Food Processing 123 16.12% 78.23% 19.97% 17.69%
Food Wholesalers 19 11.53% 108.12% 9.08% 7.65%
Foreign Electronics 10 NA 33.82% 8.13% 5.45%
Furn/Home Furnishings 39 14.87% 57.87% 14.95% 12.87%
Grocery 15 16.63% 95.21% 16.53% 15.12%
Healthcare Information 38 28.81% 72.39% 35.08% 14.78%
Heavy Construction 12 19.47% 17.77% 19.52% 10.93%
Home Appliance 11 21.68% 69.24% 22.46% 18.41%
Homebuilding 36 7.42% 86.08% 12.81% 10.96%
Hotel/Gaming 75 11.03% 154.75% 14.31% 11.95%
Household Products 28 16.59% 71.12% 20.62% 18.28%
Human Resources 35 17.42% 16.29% 15.10% 10.30%
Industrial Services 196 17.62% 80.06% 13.42% 9.88%
Information Services 38 18.66% 43.97% 20.20% 16.51%
Insurance (Life) 40 58.61% 27.65% 18.31% 11.95%
Insurance (Prop/Cas.) 87 1.98% 20.47% 21.48% 15.99%
Internet 266 21.77% 11.72% 19.61% 10.22%
Investment Co. 18 NA NA NA NA
Investment Co.(Foreign) 15 NA 0.00% 52.00% 24.07%
Machinery 126 16.46% 90.53% 22.30% 18.56%
Manuf. Housing/RV 18 11.45% 32.42% 9.41% 6.30%
Maritime 52 13.33% 123.37% 18.49% 15.80%
Medical Services 178 18.48% 59.14% 21.15% 14.32%
Medical Supplies 274 20.08% 36.76% 23.30% 18.47%
Metal Fabricating 37 21.52% 32.44% 25.98% 22.37%
Metals & Mining (Div.) 78 29.22% 51.66% 39.90% 32.21%
Natural Gas (Div.) 31 16.40% 83.91% 16.43% 15.40%
Natural Gas Utility 26 11.77% 145.09% 13.24% 12.21%
Newspaper 18 10.45% 71.69% 12.03% 11.50%
Office Equip/Supplies 25 17.67% 79.42% 23.00% 17.58%
Oil/Gas Distribution 15 12.30% 145.68% 16.30% 14.21%
Oilfield Svcs/Equip. 113 22.82% 57.35% 28.58% 22.89%
Packaging & Container 35 16.34% 158.34% 14.43% 12.34%
Paper/Forest Products 39 14.59% 78.66% 11.74% 9.94%
Petroleum (Integrated) 26 26.42% 23.33% 27.26% 23.96%
Petroleum (Producing) 186 22.85% 51.95% 19.08% 18.30%
Pharmacy Services 19 6.29% 41.20% 14.74% 13.45%
Power 58 12.43% 294.75% 20.58% 11.07%
Precious Metals 84 11.34% 19.41% 6.17% 5.08%
Precision Instrument 103 13.55% 28.88% 11.93% 8.09%
Property Management 12 11.28% 274.48% 26.27% 15.37%
Publishing 40 21.79% 474.92% 132.07% 80.43%
R.E.I.T. 147 8.46% 180.84% 14.82% 7.89%
Railroad 16 14.26% 61.15% 15.10% 14.10%
Recreation 73 15.04% 63.53% 15.66% 13.28%
Reinsurance 11 NA 15.49% 19.50% 12.44%
Restaurant 75 21.02% 65.10% 23.30% 19.44%
Retail (Special Lines) 164 24.63% 36.05% 24.84% 16.14%
Retail Automotive 16 12.90% 93.85% 17.29% 15.04%
Retail Building Supply 9 19.71% 39.21% 22.28% 21.45%
Retail Store 42 16.54% 53.77% 20.06% 16.74%
Securities Brokerage 31 16.52% 563.12% -56.95% 20.03%
Semiconductor 138 27.92% 14.64% 21.05% 13.10%
Semiconductor Equip 16 29.78% 26.03% 35.51% 19.71%
Shoe 20 29.57% 10.63% 30.53% 19.71%
Steel (General) 26 29.51% 33.52% 35.20% 26.08%
Steel (Integrated) 14 17.66% 48.52% 19.45% 15.99%
Telecom. Equipment 124 28.95% 22.02% 38.40% 14.72%
Telecom. Services 152 15.72% 81.95% 6.56% 5.85%
Thrift 234 NA 55.26% 11.40% 8.96%
Tobacco 11 27.06% 72.13% 37.23% 29.28%
Toiletries/Cosmetics 21 21.47% 110.01% 36.67% 22.58%
Trucking 32 18.57% 90.97% 18.59% 15.88%
Utility (Foreign) 6 12.88% 23.35% 10.95% 7.09%
Water Utility 16 9.47% 117.99% 9.25% 8.91%
Wireless Networking 74 9.38% 101.48% 3.57% 2.04%
Market 7364 17.56% 89.90% 21.08% 15.39%

 



Updated in January 2008
By Aswath Damodaran