ROIC % measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. It is also called ROC %. Knife River's annualized return on invested capital (ROIC %) for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was -7.48%.
As of today (2026-07-10), Knife River's WACC % is 6.12%. Knife River's ROIC % is 6.36% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Knife River generates higher returns on investment than it costs the company to raise the capital needed for that investment. It is earning excess returns. A firm that expects to continue generating positive excess returns on new investments in the future will see its value increase as growth increases.
Knife River (NYSE:KNF) ROIC % Explanation
ROIC % measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. It is also called ROC %. The reason book values of debt and equity are used is because the book values are the capital the company received when issuing the debt or receiving the equity investments.
There are four key components to this definition. The first is the use of operating income or EBIT rather than net income in the numerator. The second is the tax adjustment to this operating income or EBIT, computed as a hypothetical tax based on an effective or marginal tax rate. The third is the use of book values for invested capital, rather than market values. The final is the timing difference; the capital invested is from the end of the prior year whereas the operating income or EBIT is the current year's number.
Why is ROIC % important?
Because it costs money to raise capital. A firm that generates higher returns on investment than it costs the company to raise the capital needed for that investment is earning excess returns. A firm that expects to continue generating positive excess returns on new investments in the future will see its value increase as growth increases, whereas a firm that earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital will destroy value as it grows.
As of today, Knife River's WACC % is 6.12%. Knife River's ROIC % is 6.36% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Knife River generates higher returns on investment than it costs the company to raise the capital needed for that investment. It is earning excess returns. A firm that expects to continue generating positive excess returns on new investments in the future will see its value increase as growth increases.
Be Aware
Like ROE % and ROA %, ROIC % is calculated with only 12 months of data. Fluctuations in the company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective.
Knife River ROIC % Related Terms
Knife River ROIC % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Knife River's ROIC % 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.
For the Building Materials subindustry, Knife River's ROIC %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROIC % 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.
Knife River ROIC % vs Building Materials Industry
For the Building Materials industry and Basic Materials sector, Knife River's ROIC % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Knife River's ROIC % falls into.
Note:
The Operating Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) data.
The tax rate is limited to between 0% and 100%.
* 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.
Knife River (KNF) has a ROIC % of -7.48% as of Mar. 2026. Return on invested capital is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period invested capital. View historical data on Knife River and its competitors.
Is Knife River's ROIC % too high?
Knife River's current ROIC % is -7.48%. Overall, Knife River has a GF Score™ of 77/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Knife River's ROIC % compare to TTAM and EXP?
Knife River's ROIC % of -7.48% can be compared against companies in the Building Materials industry. The industry median ROIC % is 3.44. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good ROIC % for a Building Materials company?
The median ROIC % among Building Materials companies is 3.44, based on 398 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROIC % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROIC % 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 ROIC % mean?
A high ROIC % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on invested capital is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period invested capital. View historical data on Knife River and its competitors. For the Building Materials industry, the median ROIC % is 3.44 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Knife River's current ROIC % is -7.48%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Knife River stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Knife River (KNF) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $86.30, compared to a current price of $81.09 — trading 6% below its estimated fair value. The current ROIC % is -7.48%. Knife River's overall GF Score™ is 77/100 with 1 warning sign to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is ROIC % calculated?
ROIC % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Knife River (KNF), the current ROIC % is -7.48% 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 Knife River (KNF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Knife River stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $81.09 is trading 6% below its estimated GF Value™ of $86.30.
GuruFocus considers Knife River to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for KNF:
ROIC %: -7.48%
GF Value™: $86.30 vs. price of $81.09 (6% below fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the KNF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Knife River Corp is a people-first construction materials and contracting services company. It provides construction materials and contracting services to build safe roads, bridges, airport runways, and other critical infrastructure needs that connect people. The group is a provider of crushed stone, sand, and gravel in the United States. It operates through four reportable segments: West, Mountain, Central, and Energy Services.
77GF Score
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