Earnings yield
The inverse of the P/E ratio: yearly profit as a percentage of the share price.
Earnings yield flips the P/E ratio into a percentage. A P/E of 20 is a 5% earnings yield. Expressed this way it can be set against bond yields or a required return.
Where it misleads. Companies do not pay out all their earnings, and earnings are not cash. The free cash flow yield and the dividend yield show what actually comes out of the business.
Earnings yield across the S&P 500 today
471 companies with a meaningful value, as of Oct 11, 2026.
Highest in the S&P 500
| Charter Communications Inc CHTR | 36.4% |
|---|---|
| Comcast Corp CMCSA | 24.5% |
| The Allstate Corporation ALL | 21.8% |
| KLA Corporation KLAC | 19.0% |
| Edison International EIX | 16.9% |
| Fidelity National Information Services Inc FIS | 15.4% |
| Expand Energy Corporation EXE | 14.7% |
| Lululemon Athletica Inc. LULU | 14.3% |
| Corteva Inc CTVA | 14.2% |
| Universal Health Services Inc UHS | 13.9% |
Lowest in the S&P 500
| Datadog Inc DDOG | 0.13% |
|---|---|
| CoStar Group Inc CSGP | 0.23% |
| Microchip Technology Inc MCHP | 0.30% |
| Tesla Inc TSLA | 0.31% |
| Ciena Corp CIEN | 0.36% |
| Genuine Parts Co GPC | 0.38% |
| Everpure, Inc. P | 0.38% |
| Palo Alto Networks Inc PANW | 0.41% |
| Palantir Technologies Inc. PLTR | 0.44% |
| Diamondback Energy Inc FANG | 0.51% |
Median earnings yield by sector
S&P 500 companies only. Sectors differ a lot, so compare a company with its own sector first.
| Sector | Median | Companies |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Services | 6.3% | 69 |
| Utilities | 4.9% | 31 |
| Consumer Defensive | 4.5% | 28 |
| Energy | 4.2% | 21 |
| Consumer Cyclical | 4.2% | 51 |
| Communication Services | 4.1% | 18 |
| Basic Materials | 3.8% | 14 |
| Healthcare | 3.6% | 55 |
| Industrials | 3.4% | 73 |
| Real Estate | 3.3% | 28 |
| Technology | 2.8% | 83 |
Questions
What is Earnings yield?
The inverse of the P/E ratio: yearly profit as a percentage of the share price.
How is Earnings yield calculated?
Earnings yield = earnings per share ÷ share price (= 1 ÷ P/E).
What is a normal earnings yield?
Across 471 S&P 500 companies, the median is 3.9%; the middle half sits between 2.7% and 5.8%. It varies a lot by sector.
Related terms
Live figures from the latest prices and SEC filings. Information only, not investment advice. Updated October 9, 2026.