ROIC % measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. It is also called ROC %. Nikola's annualized return on invested capital (ROIC %) for the quarter that ended in Dec. 2024 was -97.51%.
As of today (2026-06-30), Nikola's WACC % is 0.00%. Nikola's ROIC % is 0.00% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Nikola earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital. It will destroy value as it grows.
Nikola (MEX:NKLA) 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, Nikola's WACC % is 0.00%. Nikola's ROIC % is 0.00% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Nikola 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.
Nikola ROIC % Related Terms
Nikola ROIC % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Nikola'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 Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery subindustry, Nikola'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.
Nikola ROIC % vs Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery Industry
For the Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery industry and Industrials sector, Nikola's ROIC % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Nikola's ROIC % falls into.
Note:
The Operating Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Dec. 2024) 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.
Nikola (MEX:NKLA) has a ROIC % of -97.51% as of Dec. 2024. Return on invested capital is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period invested capital. View historical data on Nikola and its competitors.
Is Nikola's ROIC % too high?
Nikola's current ROIC % is -97.51%. Overall, Nikola has a GF Score™ of 12/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Nikola's ROIC % compare to NMHI and GP?
Nikola's ROIC % of -97.51% can be compared against companies in the Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery industry. The industry median ROIC % is 5.56. 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 Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery company?
The median ROIC % among Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery companies is 5.56, based on 208 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 Nikola and its competitors. For the Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery industry, the median ROIC % is 5.56 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Nikola's current ROIC % is -97.51%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Nikola stock overvalued right now?
Nikola (MEX:NKLA) has a current ROIC % of -97.51%. The current ROIC % is -97.51%. Nikola's overall GF Score™ is 12/100. 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 Nikola (MEX:NKLA), the current ROIC % is -97.51% as of Dec. 2024. 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.
Nikola Corp is a technology innovator and integrator, working to develop inventive energy and transportation solutions. It works on a business model that enables customers and fleets to integrate next-generation truck technology, hydrogen fueling and charging infrastructure, and related maintenance. It operates in two business units: Truck and Energy. The Truck business unit is engaged in manufacturing and selling FCEV and BEV trucks that provide environmentally friendly, cost-effective solutions to the trucking sector. The Energy business unit is engaged in developing and constructing a network of hydrogen fueling stations to meet the hydrogen fuel demand for the company's customers, as well as other third-party customers.
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