Stock fact sheet · data as of
Bancroft Fund Ltd. (BCV): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Ticker symbol BCV · Financial Services · Asset Management · United States · Fund / Note
Is BCV undervalued?
Bancroft Fund Ltd. (BCV) closed at 21.81 on 5 Nov 2026. The GLS average fair value - the simple average of the 7 valuation models that produced a positive number - is 167.60, which puts the price 87% below it. 5 of the 7 models value the shares above the current price. A gap this wide is rare in our universe of ~7,400 US stocks and is exactly what the Value part of the Wheel Score rewards; it is also where the question "why is it this cheap?" matters most.
There is a wide gap between DCF (8.23) and GLS Growth (426.11). When the models are this far apart the "fair value" is really a range, and the margin of safety above should be read with that range in mind.
BCV looks like a fund, note or preferred share rather than an operating company, so the nightly engine files it under Fund / Note: the valuation models are not built for it, and its Wheel Score is capped at 45.
Nine valuation models for BCV
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 8.23 | -62% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 67.87 | +211% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 398.13 | +1726% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 174.01 | +698% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 426.11 | +1854% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | - | - | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10%; no value tonight |
| Payback Time | - | - | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself; no value tonight |
| DDM | 21.48 | -1% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 77.34 | +255% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | 0.2914 | -99% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 0.0000 | -100% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Bancroft Fund Ltd. scores 5 of 9 on the Piotroski F-score: a middling result that falls one point short of the "Piotroski 6 or more" Wheel Trade Filter. Some of the nine tests on profitability, leverage and efficiency are failed, so the accounts are worth a look before selling a put on the name. There is no GLS Moat score for BCV: funds, notes and second share lines get none, and so does a company with fewer than two years of accounts on file. The Moat part of the Wheel Score is zero.
Returns on capital are high - ROIC 24.7%, ROE 24.7%, ROA 24.7% - with debt at 0.00 times equity and negative free cash flow.
The dividend yield is high at 6.70% (payout ratio 0%). A yield this size is often the market's way of pricing a risk to the payout, so the health score and cash flow matter more than usual.
Institutional ownership scores 5/10, insider activity 1/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 5 / 9 | ROIC | 24.7% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | - / 10 | ROE | 24.7% |
| Debt / equity | 0.00 | ROA | 24.7% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 0.0% | Payout ratio | 0% |
| Institutions | 5 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 1 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 26: No options
No options are listed on Bancroft Fund Ltd. in our nightly snapshot, so it fails the first Wheel Trade Filter (options that actually trade) (it reads 26, under 70) and is left out of every options scan; the fair value and health figures above are still useful for a plain stock position.
Volume runs at 2k shares a day on a market cap of $127M, with a beta of 1.04; the Stability part of the Wheel Score rates that fair.
| Filter | Wheel Trade Filter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Options that actually trade | Fails | no listed options |
| 2 | A real business, not a gamble | Fails | a fund or note, not a company |
| 3 | Below fair value | Passes | Trading below the nine-model average fair value (margin of safety above 0) |
| 4 | Financially healthy | Fails | Piotroski 5/9 (under 6) |
| 5 | Can repay its debt | Passes | Long-term debt repaid from 3 years of operating cash flow or less (6 for real estate and utilities; banks and insurers are not judged on it) |
| 6 | No serious red flags | Passes | Red Flags score 60 or more out of 100 (earnings, margins, debt, analysts, filings and price checked the same way for every stock) |
| 7 | A premium worth selling | Fails | no implied volatility |
| 8 | Big enough | Fails | market cap $127M (under $1.0B) |
| 9 | Not a penny stock | Passes | Share price $5 or more |
| How it ranks | Rating | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Strong | 87% below fair value | |
| Premium | Weak | no option data | |
| Moat | Weak | no moat score | |
| Health | Fair | Piotroski 5/9 | |
| Red Flags | Fair | not scored yet - half marks | |
| Option trading | Weak | no option volume data | |
| Stability | Fair | beta 1.04, $127M company |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls: a stock must pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters to score 70, and the score then ranks the ones that pass; the Sunday Scan is the top 10. It is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. How the Wheel Score works · the walkthrough lesson shows how it fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for BCV in the nightly calendar.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
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The 12 companies below are the closest to Bancroft Fund Ltd. by market cap within the Asset Management industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPMC Sound Point Meridian Capital Inc | 6.20 | 37.96 | +84% | 27No options | $128M |
| HYI Western Asset High Yield Defined Opportunity Fund Inc. | 9.77 | 29.94 | +67% | 25No options | $125M |
| ACSMX Advisors Capital Small/Mid Cap | 11.85 | 430.87 | +97% | 26No options | $129M |
| EARN Ellington Credit Company | 3.43 | 55.45 | +94% | 31Weak | $131M |
| JHS John Hancock Income Securities Trust | 10.53 | 21.13 | +50% | 30No options | $123M |
| HSDT Solana Company | 2.10 | - | - | 12Weak | $123M |
| ATESX Anchor Risk Managed Equity Strategies Fund - Institutional Class | 15.43 | 1.16 | -1226% | 10No options | $132M |
| CEE The Central and Eastern Europe Fund, Inc. | 18.85 | 182.50 | +90% | 26No options | $122M |
| DFDV DeFi Development Corp. | 3.73 | - | - | 12Weak | $122M |
| IAF Abrdn Australia Equity Fund Inc | 12.65 | 37.04 | +66% | 25No options | $121M |
| MPA BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund | 10.27 | 26.93 | +62% | 26No options | $133M |
| BGX Blackstone Long-Short Credit Income Fund | 10.65 | 11.28 | +6% | 14No options | $135M |
⚖ Compare BCV with 7 of them All Financial Services stocks →
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about BCV
Is BCV undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 21.81 the stock is 87% below the average fair value of 167.60 (data as of 5 Nov 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of BCV and what does it mean?
BCV has no listed options in our nightly snapshot, so it cannot be wheeled; it fails the first Wheel Trade Filter (options that actually trade), stays under 70 and is shown as "No options".
What is the GLS fair value for BCV?
167.60 per share as of 5 Nov 2026 - the simple average of the 7 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Bancroft Fund Ltd. report earnings next?
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for BCV in our calendar as of 5 Nov 2026; the Calendars page is refreshed every morning.
Does BCV have listed options, and how liquid are they?
No. The nightly options snapshot found no listed contracts on BCV, so the wheel strategy cannot be run on it and the Wheel Score stays under 70.