AdobeXSWX:ADBE +0.51%86 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 428.76% as of May. 2026, which is 51% above its 10-year median of 283.19. GuruFocus rates XSWX:ADBE with a GF Score™ of 86/100 and a GF Value™ of CHF436.83 (Significantly Undervalued). Among 2,800 Software companies, Adobe ranks better than 92.14% 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. Adobe's annualized ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for the quarter that ended in May. 2026 was 428.76%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Adobe's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % or its related term are showing as below:
XSWX:ADBE'
s ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 187.77 Med: 283.19 Max: 430.9
Current: 430.9
During the past 13 years, Adobe's highest ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % was 430.90%. The lowest was 187.77%. And the median was 283.19%.
XSWX:ADBE's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is ranked better than 92.14% of 2800
companies
in the Software industry
Industry Median: 19.625
vs XSWX:ADBE: 430.90
Adobe's 5-Year average Growth Rate of ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % was 7.70% per year.
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.
The historical data trend for Adobe'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.
XSWX:ADBE vs DDOG, SNOW, INTU: ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Comparison
For the Software - Application subindustry, Adobe'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.
Adobe ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % vs Software Industry
For the Software industry and Technology sector, Adobe's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Adobe'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 (May. 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 428.76% mean?
Adobe (XSWX:ADBE) has a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 428.76% as of May. 2026. Joel Greenblatt's return on capital is the ratio of EBIT to average fixed assets and net working capital. View historical data on Adobe and its competitors. This is 51% above median its historical median of 283.19. Over the past decade, Adobe's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % has ranged from 187.77 to 430.90. According to the industry distribution chart, Adobe ranks #220 out of 2800 companies in the Software industry, placing it in the top 7.9%.
Is Adobe's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % too high?
Adobe's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 428.76% is 51% above median its 10-year median of 283.19. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 187.77 to a high of 430.90. The Software industry median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 19.63. Adobe's value of 428.76% is 2084.8% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Adobe ranks #220 out of 2800 companies in the Software industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Adobe has a GF Score™ of 86/100 and is considered Significantly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Adobe's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % compare to DDOG and SNOW?
According to the Software industry distribution chart, Adobe ranks #220 out of 2800 companies for ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %. This places Adobe in the top 8% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 19.63. Adobe's value of 428.76% is 2084.8% above this benchmark. Historically, Adobe's own ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % has ranged from 187.77 to 430.90 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 283.19 vs. the industry median of 19.63, Adobe has consistently been above the industry average. 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 19.63, based on 2,800 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. Adobe's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 428.76% is 2084.8% above the industry median. 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 Adobe and its competitors. For the Software industry, the median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 19.63 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Adobe's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 428.76%, which is 51% above median its own 10-year median of 283.19. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Adobe stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Adobe (XSWX:ADBE) is currently considered Significantly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is CHF436.83, compared to a current price of CHF174.62 — trading 60% below its estimated fair value. The current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 428.76%, which is 51% above median its 10-year median of 283.19 and 2084.8% above the Software industry median of 19.63. Adobe's overall GF Score™ is 86/100. 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 Adobe (XSWX:ADBE), the current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 428.76% as of May. 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 Adobe (XSWX:ADBE) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Adobe stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of CHF174.62 is trading 60% below its estimated GF Value™ of CHF436.83.
GuruFocus considers Adobe to be Significantly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for XSWX:ADBE:
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %: 428.76% (51% above median its 10-year median of 283.19)
GF Value™: CHF436.83 vs. price of CHF174.62 (60% below fair value)
Industry Position: 2084.8% above the Software median (#220 of 2800)
No single metric tells the full story. See the XSWX:ADBE stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Adobe provides content creation, document management, and digital marketing and advertising software and services to creative professionals and marketers for creating, managing, delivering, measuring, optimizing, and engaging with compelling content multiple operating systems, devices, and media. The company operates with three segments: digital media content creation, digital experience for marketing solutions, and publishing for legacy products (less than 5% of revenue).
86GF Score
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