The business behind the dividend
| Measure | GATX | Median | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on equity | 12.1% | 10.6% | Net income ÷ shareholders’ equity |
| Return on capital employed | — | — | Operating income ÷ (equity + total debt) |
| Owner earnings | — | — | Net income + depreciation & amortisation − capital expenditure |
| Free cash flow | — | — | Operating cash flow − capital expenditure |
| Operating margin | — | — | Operating income ÷ revenue |
| Net margin | 19.2% | 10.1% | Net income ÷ revenue |
| Debt to equity | 4.55x | 0.73x | Total debt ÷ shareholders’ equity |
| Interest cover | — | — | Operating income ÷ interest expense |
| Current ratio | — | — | Current assets ÷ current liabilities |
| Long-term debt to working capital | — | — | Long-term debt ÷ (current assets − current liabilities) |
| Cash conversion | 1.94x | 1.66x | Operating cash flow ÷ net income |
| Accruals | -1.7% | -3.1% | (Net income − operating cash flow) ÷ total assets |
Not computed here: Current ratio, Free cash flow, Interest cover, Operating margin, Owner earnings, Return on capital employed — why a blank is not a zero.
Ten years of it
The same measures, for every year the filings support. One year is a fact; a row is a business.
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return on equity | 12.1% | 11.7% | 11.4% | 7.7% | 7.1% | 7.7% | 11.5% | 11.8% | 28.0% | 19.1% | 11.5% |
| Net margin | 19.2% | 17.9% | 18.4% | 12.2% | 11.4% | 12.5% | 17.6% | 18.0% | 36.5% | 18.1% | 17.9% |
| Debt to equity | 4.55x | 3.39x | 3.28x | 3.20x | 2.94x | 2.74x | 2.62x | 2.50x | 2.46x | 3.18x | 2.94x |
| Cash conversion | 1.94x | 2.12x | 2.01x | 3.42x | 3.54x | 2.89x | 2.02x | 2.30x | 0.99x | 2.45x | 2.12x |
How it compares in industrials
Among the 16 industrials companies here measured on operating cash flow, GATX pays out less than 11 of them. The median for that group is 28.0%, against this company’s 13.9%.
Closest on operating cash flow
- Danaos (DAC) 9.9%
- CNH Industrial N.V. (CNH) 13.1%
- Euroseas (ESEA) 13.4%
- Costamare (CMRE) 14.8%
Same sector and same denominator, so the figures are comparable. All 348 in industrials →