Sprout SocialSPT +1.25%67 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is -107.20% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus rates SPT with a GF Score™ of 67/100 and a GF Value™ of $36.51 (Possible Value Trap). The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review. Among 2,807 Software companies, Sprout Social ranks worse than 80.8% on this metric.
Joel Greenblatt defined Return on Capital differently in his book The Little Book That Still Beats the Market (Little Books. Big Profits). He defines ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % as EBIT divided by the total of Property, Plant and Equipment and net working capital. Sprout Social's annualized ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was -107.20%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Sprout Social's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % or its related term are showing as below:
SPT'
s ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -303.09 Med: -191.84 Max: -119.02
Current: -172.25
During the past 9 years, Sprout Social's highest ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % was -119.02%. The lowest was -303.09%. And the median was -191.84%.
SPT's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is ranked worse than 80.8% of 2807
companies
in the Software industry
Industry Median: 19.62
vs SPT: -172.25
Sprout Social's 5-Year average Growth Rate of ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % was -13.10% per year.
Sprout Social (NAS:SPT) ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Explanation
The way Joel Greenblatt defines Return on Capital is a more accurate measure of how efficiently the company generates returns onthe capital actually invested in the business. EBIT is used instead of net income because the tax and interest payment may be affected by factors other than the core business operation. Intangible assets are not included in the calculation because they don't need to be replaced.
Sprout Social ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Related Terms
Sprout Social ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Sprout Social's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
SPT vs BLND, MFI, CRNC: ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Comparison
For the Software - Application subindustry, Sprout Social's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Sprout Social ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % vs Software Industry
For the Software industry and Technology sector, Sprout Social's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Sprout Social's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % falls into.
Joel Greenblatt defined Return on Capital differently in his book The Little Book That Still Beats the Market (Little Books. Big Profits) . He defines Return on Capital as follows:
EBIT stands for Earnings Before Interest and Taxes.
Fixed Assets are also known as non-current assets. They include the Property, Plant and Equipment that the firm needs in its operation.
GuruFocus calculates net working capital as: (Accounts Receivable + Total Inventories + Other Current Assets) - (Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense + Deferred Revenue + Other Current Liabilities). We're trying to account for OPERATING assets and liabilities (part of daily business) when calculating working capital. Cash and marketable securities are considered NON-OPERATING assets and are not included in calculation. We will also back out all interest bearing debt, short term debt and the portion of long term debt that is due in the current period from the current liabilities. This debt will be considered when computing cost of capital and it would be inappropriate to count it twice.
Note:
The EBIT data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBIT data.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
What does a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of -107.20% mean?
Sprout Social (SPT) has a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of -107.20% as of Mar. 2026. Joel Greenblatt's return on capital is the ratio of EBIT to average fixed assets and net working capital. View historical data on Sprout Social and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Sprout Social ranks #2268 out of 2807 companies in the Software industry, placing it in the top 80.8%.
Is Sprout Social's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % too high?
Sprout Social's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is -107.20%. Based on the distribution chart, Sprout Social ranks #2268 out of 2807 companies in the Software industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Sprout Social has a GF Score™ of 67/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Sprout Social's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % compare to BLND and MFI?
According to the Software industry distribution chart, Sprout Social ranks #2268 out of 2807 companies for ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %. This places Sprout Social in the lower half of its industry. The industry median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 19.62. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for a Software company?
The median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % among Software companies is 19.62, based on 2,807 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % mean?
A high ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Joel Greenblatt's return on capital is the ratio of EBIT to average fixed assets and net working capital. View historical data on Sprout Social and its competitors. For the Software industry, the median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 19.62 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Sprout Social's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is -107.20%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Sprout Social stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Sprout Social (SPT) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is $36.51, compared to a current price of $8.08 — trading 77.9% below its estimated fair value. The current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is -107.20%. Sprout Social's overall GF Score™ is 67/100 with 4 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % calculated?
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Sprout Social (SPT), the current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is -107.20% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Sprout Social (SPT) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Sprout Social stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $8.08 is trading 77.9% below its estimated GF Value™ of $36.51.
GuruFocus considers Sprout Social to be Possible Value Trap.
Key valuation signals for SPT:
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %: -107.20%
GF Value™: $36.51 vs. price of $8.08 (77.9% below fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the SPT stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Sprout Social Inc develops a cloud software that brings together social messaging, data and workflows in a unified system of record, intelligence, and action. It has a centralized, secure and powerful platform that can scale horizontally across an organization to drive maximum business value. The firm generates majority revenue from software subscriptions. Geographically, the company operates in Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific, of which it derives maximum revenue from Americas.
67GF Score
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