ROIC % measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. It is also called ROC %. Lithium Americas's annualized return on invested capital (ROIC %) for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was -2.19%.
As of today (2026-06-25), Lithium Americas's WACC % is 7.42%. Lithium Americas's ROIC % is -4.38% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Lithium Americas earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital. It will destroy value as it grows.
Lithium Americas (NYSE:LAC) 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, Lithium Americas's WACC % is 7.42%. Lithium Americas's ROIC % is -4.38% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Lithium Americas earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital. It will destroy value as it grows.
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.
Lithium Americas ROIC % Related Terms
Lithium Americas ROIC % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Lithium Americas'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 Other Industrial Metals & Mining subindustry, Lithium Americas'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.
Lithium Americas ROIC % vs Metals & Mining Industry
For the Metals & Mining industry and Basic Materials sector, Lithium Americas's ROIC % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Lithium Americas'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.
Lithium Americas (LAC) has a ROIC % of -2.19% 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 Lithium Americas and its competitors.
Is Lithium Americas' ROIC % too high?
Lithium Americas' current ROIC % is -2.19%. Overall, Lithium Americas has a GF Score™ of 13/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Lithium Americas' ROIC % compare to competitors?
Lithium Americas' ROIC % of -2.19% can be compared against companies in the Metals & Mining industry. 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 Metals & Mining company?
A good ROIC % depends on the Metals & Mining industry context. 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 Lithium Americas and its competitors. Lithium Americas's current ROIC % is -2.19%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Lithium Americas stock overvalued right now?
Lithium Americas (LAC) has a current ROIC % of -2.19%. The current ROIC % is -2.19%. Lithium Americas' overall GF Score™ is 13/100 with 2 warning signs 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 Lithium Americas (LAC), the current ROIC % is -2.19% 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.
Lithium Americas Corp is a Canadian-based resource and materials company focused on developing, building and operating lithium deposits and chemical processing facilities. The company also holds investments in Green Technology Metals Limited (GT1) and Ascend Elements, Inc. (Ascend Elements), and exploration properties in the U.S. and Canada. The company's flagship asset is Thacker Pass, a sedimentary-based lithium deposit located in the McDermitt Caldera in Humboldt County, in northern Nevada (Thacker Pass or the Project). The company operates in only one operating segment and one geographical segment.
13GF Score
Get the complete analysis for LAC
ROIC % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
Quick Browse
Personalize
Premium Gurus 
Create New Portfolio
LAC has been successfully added to your 
