showing the working

← Lamar Advertising

The business behind the dividend

MeasureLAMRMedianFormula
Return on equity57.3%10.6%Net income ÷ shareholders’ equity
Return on capital employed17.4%10.0%Operating income ÷ (equity + total debt)
Owner earnings$732.68m$120.90mNet income + depreciation & amortisation − capital expenditure
Free cash flow$683.25m$155.08mOperating cash flow − capital expenditure
Operating margin34.2%14.3%Operating income ÷ revenue
Net margin25.9%10.1%Net income ÷ revenue
Debt to equity3.34x0.73xTotal debt ÷ shareholders’ equity
Interest cover4.82x4.22xOperating income ÷ interest expense
Current ratio0.58x1.55xCurrent assets ÷ current liabilities
Long-term debt to working capitalLong-term debt ÷ (current assets − current liabilities)
Cash conversion1.47x1.66xOperating cash flow ÷ net income
Accruals-4.0%-3.1%(Net income − operating cash flow) ÷ total assets

Not computed here: Long-term debt to working capital — 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.

Measure2025202420232022202120202019201820172016Median
Return on equity57.3%34.5%40.7%36.7%31.9%20.2%31.5%27.0%28.8%27.9%31.5%
Return on capital employed17.4%12.5%14.8%12.8%12.3%10.0%12.4%11.5%12.4%12.8%12.4%
Operating margin34.2%24.1%32.0%28.4%29.2%26.1%29.5%28.3%29.5%29.3%29.2%
Net margin25.9%16.4%23.5%21.6%21.7%15.5%21.2%18.8%20.6%19.9%20.6%
Debt to equity3.34x3.06x2.75x2.77x2.48x2.40x2.52x2.55x2.32x2.20x2.52x
Current ratio0.58x0.55x0.52x0.50x0.59x0.69x0.46x0.80x1.29x1.13x0.58x
Cash conversion1.47x2.41x1.58x1.78x1.89x2.34x1.70x1.85x1.60x1.75x1.75x

How it compares in real estate

Among the 99 real estate companies here measured on funds from operations, Lamar Advertising pays out less than 28 of them. The median for that group is 67.5%, against this company’s 78.3%.

Closest on funds from operations

Same sector and same denominator, so the figures are comparable. All 130 in real estate →