Stock fact sheet · data as of
Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd. (ECF): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Financial Services · Asset Management · United States · High Yield Income
Is ECF undervalued?
Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd. (ECF) closed at 11.80 on 16 Oct 2026. The GLS average fair value - the simple average of the 7 valuation models that produced a positive number - is 76.61, which puts the price 85% below it. 6 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.
The 7 models disagree widely: DCF gives 2.00 while GLS Growth gives 192.96. A spread that wide means the average is sensitive to which methods you trust; the model table below shows where each one lands, and the Quote page lets you switch any of them off.
The nightly engine files ECF under High Yield Income: a dividend yield above 4%.
Nine valuation models for ECF
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 | 2.00 | -83% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 32.32 | +174% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 180.29 | +1428% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 78.80 | +568% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 192.96 | +1535% | 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 | 14.86 | +26% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 35.02 | +197% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | 0.0297 | -100% | 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
Financial health is average - ECF passes 6 of the nine Piotroski tests, which passes the Sunday Scan's "6 or more" rule. The Financials tab on the Quote page shows which tests fail. The GLS Moat score is low at 2.2 out of 10, which says the ten-year record of revenue, earnings, margins and returns on capital has been inconsistent - growth and shocks rather than steady compounding.
Returns on capital are high - ROIC 23.4%, ROE 23.4%, ROA 23.2% - with debt at 0.00 times equity and negative free cash flow.
The dividend yield is high at 8.56% (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 6/10, insider activity 7/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 6 / 9 | ROIC | 23.4% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 2.2 / 10 | ROE | 23.4% |
| Debt / equity | 0.00 | ROA | 23.2% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 0.0% | Payout ratio | 0% |
| Institutions | 6 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 7 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 39: No options
ECF has no listed options in the nightly snapshot, so there is nothing to sell and the stock cannot be wheeled however good the business; the Wheel Score is capped at 39 and shown as "No options" (39 here). The valuation and quality numbers still apply to owning the shares outright.
Volume runs at 72k shares a day on a market cap of $161M, with a beta of 1.08; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 6 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 25 / 25 | 85% margin of safety | |
| Health | 13 / 20 | Piotroski 6/9 | |
| Moat | 3 / 15 | moat 2.2/10 | |
| Premium | 0 / 20 | no option data | |
| Stability | 6 / 20 | 72k shares/day, $161M cap, beta 1.08 |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for ECF in the nightly calendar.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Asset Management
The 12 companies below are the closest to Ellsworth Growth and Income 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.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NESIX Needham Small Cap Growth Institutional | 30.08 | 49.27 | +39% | 39No options | $161M |
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| FHAYX Fidelity Freedom Blend 2010 Fund | 11.11 | 21.11 | +47% | 39No options | $164M |
| WHF WhiteHorse Finance, Inc. | 7.40 | 19.24 | +62% | 71Good | $159M |
| WHFCL WhiteHorse Finance, Inc. 7.875% Notes due 2028 | 25.13 | 29.80 | +16% | 39No options | $159M |
| ARHVX American Century One Choice 2065 Inv | 14.88 | 4.57 | -226% | 16No options | $159M |
| ARCFX Water Island Credit Opportunities Fund Retail Class | 9.81 | 42.23 | +77% | 39No options | $159M |
| CPSL Calamos ETF Trust - Laddered S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF | 28.45 | 0.2904 | -9697% | 14No options | $159M |
| GF The New Germany Fund, Inc. | 10.22 | 4.18 | -145% | 20No options | $165M |
| WAMFX Boston Trust Walden Midcap Fund | 24.61 | 12.86 | -91% | 22No options | $157M |
| FLOWX Fidelity Water Sustainability Fund | 18.68 | 564.53 | +97% | 39No options | $157M |
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about ECF
Is ECF undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 11.80 the stock is 85% below the average fair value of 76.61 (data as of 16 Oct 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of ECF and what does it mean?
ECF has no listed options in our nightly snapshot, so it cannot be wheeled; its Wheel Score is capped at 39 and shown as "No options".
What is the GLS fair value for ECF?
76.61 per share as of 16 Oct 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 Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd. report earnings next?
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for ECF in our calendar as of 16 Oct 2026; the Calendars page is refreshed every morning.
Does ECF have listed options, and how liquid are they?
No. The nightly options snapshot found no listed contracts on ECF, so the wheel strategy cannot be run on it and the Wheel Score is capped at 39.