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ZTEZTCOF 82 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 30.86% as of Mar. 2026, which is 55% below its 10-year median of 67.88. GuruFocus rates ZTCOF with a GF Score™ of 82/100 and a GF Value™ of $2.81 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 2,494 Hardware companies, ZTE ranks better than 75.82% 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. ZTE's annualized ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 30.86%.
The historical rank and industry rank for ZTE's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % or its related term are showing as below:
ZTCOF'
s ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -59.15 Med: 67.88 Max: 81.42
Current: 27.61
During the past 13 years, ZTE's highest ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % was 81.42%. The lowest was -59.15%. And the median was 67.88%.
ZTCOF's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is ranked better than 75.82% of 2494
companies
in the Hardware industry
Industry Median: 10.435
vs ZTCOF: 27.61
ZTE's 5-Year average Growth Rate of ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % was -2.30% 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 ZTE'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.
ZTCOF vs CSCO, CIEN, MSI: ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Comparison
For the Communication Equipment subindustry, ZTE'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.
ZTE ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % vs Hardware Industry
For the Hardware industry and Technology sector, ZTE's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where ZTE'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 30.86% mean?
ZTE (ZTCOF) has a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 30.86% 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 ZTE and its competitors. This is 55% below median its historical median of 67.88. According to the industry distribution chart, ZTE ranks #603 out of 2494 companies in the Hardware industry, placing it in the top 24.2%.
Is ZTE's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % too high?
ZTE's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 30.86% is 55% below median its 10-year median of 67.88. The Hardware industry median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 10.44. ZTE's value of 30.86% is 195.7% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, ZTE ranks #603 out of 2494 companies in the Hardware industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, ZTE has a GF Score™ of 82/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does ZTE's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % compare to CSCO and CIEN?
According to the Hardware industry distribution chart, ZTE ranks #603 out of 2494 companies for ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %. This places ZTE in the top 24% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 10.44. ZTE's value of 30.86% is 195.7% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 67.88 vs. the industry median of 10.44, ZTE 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 Hardware company?
The median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % among Hardware companies is 10.44, based on 2,494 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. ZTE's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 30.86% is 195.7% 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 ZTE and its competitors. For the Hardware industry, the median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 10.44 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. ZTE's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 30.86%, which is 55% below median its own 10-year median of 67.88. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is ZTE stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, ZTE (ZTCOF) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $2.81, compared to a current price of $3.00 — trading 6.8% above its estimated fair value. The current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 30.86%, which is 55% below median its 10-year median of 67.88 and 195.7% above the Hardware industry median of 10.44. ZTE's overall GF Score™ is 82/100 with 6 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 ZTE (ZTCOF), the current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 30.86% 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 ZTE (ZTCOF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, ZTE stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $3.00 is trading 6.8% above its estimated GF Value™ of $2.81.
GuruFocus considers ZTE to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for ZTCOF:
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %: 30.86% (55% below median its 10-year median of 67.88)
GF Value™: $2.81 vs. price of $3.00 (6.8% above fair value)
Industry Position: 195.7% above the Hardware median (#603 of 2494)
No single metric tells the full story. See the ZTCOF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
ZTE Corp is a provider of integrated telecommunications and IT solutions with a full range of end-to-end ICT products and solutions integrating design, development, production, sales, and services with a special focus on carriers networks, government and corporate business, and consumer business. It operates in three segments Carriers network, Consumer Business, and Government and Corporate Business. It generates a majority of its revenue from equipment supporting carriers' networks. It has a presence in the PRC, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. It generates the majority of its revenue from the PRC region.
82GF Score
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ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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