PL.WS (Planet Labs PBC) ROIC %: -19.78% (As of Apr. 2026)


PL.WS Planet Labs PBC PL.WS
55 GF Score
Price $14.10
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What is Planet Labs PBC ROIC %?

Planet Labs PBC PL.WS 55 ROIC % is -19.78% as of Apr. 2026. GuruFocus rates PL.WS with a GF Score™ of 55/100. The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review.

ROIC % measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. It is also called ROC %. Planet Labs PBC's annualized return on invested capital (ROIC %) for the quarter that ended in Apr. 2026 was -19.78%.

As of today (2026-06-24), Planet Labs PBC's WACC % is 23.75%. Planet Labs PBC's ROIC % is -18.44% (calculated using TTM income statement data). Planet Labs PBC earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital. It will destroy value as it grows.


Planet Labs PBC  (NYSE:PL.WS) 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, Planet Labs PBC's WACC % is 23.75%. Planet Labs PBC's ROIC % is -18.44% (calculated using TTM income statement data). Planet Labs PBC 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.


Planet Labs PBC ROIC % Related Terms


Planet Labs PBC ROIC % Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Planet Labs PBC'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.

Planet Labs PBC ROIC % Chart

Planet Labs PBC Annual Data
Trend Jan20 Jan21 Jan22 Jan23 Jan24 Jan25 Jan26
ROIC %
Get a 7-Day Free Trial -34.51 -46.85 -41.07 -24.93 -15.57

Planet Labs PBC Quarterly Data
Jul21 Oct21 Jan22 Apr22 Jul22 Oct22 Jan23 Apr23 Jul23 Oct23 Jan24 Apr24 Jul24 Oct24 Jan25 Apr25 Jul25 Oct25 Jan26 Apr26
ROIC % Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -19.88 -14.64 -14.27 -22.36 -19.78

PL.WS vs ARXS, BWXT, TXT: ROIC % Comparison

For the Aerospace & Defense subindustry, Planet Labs PBC'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.


Planet Labs PBC ROIC % vs Aerospace & Defense Industry

For the Aerospace & Defense industry and Industrials sector, Planet Labs PBC's ROIC % distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Planet Labs PBC's ROIC % falls into.


PL.WS
55GF Score
Planet Labs PBC PL.WS
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Planet Labs PBC ROIC % Calculation

Planet Labs PBC's annualized Return on Invested Capital (ROIC %) for the fiscal year that ended in Jan. 2026 is calculated as:

ROIC % (A: Jan. 2026 )
=NOPAT/Average Invested Capital
=Operating Income * ( 1 - Tax Rate % )/( (Invested Capital (A: Jan. 2025 ) + Invested Capital (A: Jan. 2026 ))/ count )
=-95.073 * ( 1 - 0% )/( (448.283 + 773.293)/ 2 )
=-95.073/610.788
=-15.57 %

where

Invested Capital(A: Jan. 2025 )
=Total Assets - Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense - Excess Cash
=Total Assets - Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense - ( Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities - max(0, Total Current Liabilities - Total Current Assets+Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities))
=633.796 - 25.366 - ( 222.075 - max(0, 142.078 - 302.225+222.075))
=448.283

Invested Capital(A: Jan. 2026 )
=Total Assets - Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense - Excess Cash
=Total Assets - Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense - ( Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities - max(0, Total Current Liabilities - Total Current Assets+Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities))
=1145.686 - 66.486 - ( 640.09 - max(0, 469.455 - 775.362+640.09))
=773.293

Planet Labs PBC's annualized Return on Invested Capital (ROIC %) for the quarter that ended in Apr. 2026 is calculated as:

ROIC % (Q: Apr. 2026 )
=NOPAT/Average Invested Capital
=Operating Income * ( 1 - Tax Rate % )/( (Invested Capital (Q: Jan. 2026 ) + Invested Capital (Q: Apr. 2026 ))/ count )
=-139.552 * ( 1 - 0% )/( (773.293 + 637.423)/ 2 )
=-139.552/705.358
=-19.78 %

where

Invested Capital(Q: Jan. 2026 )
=Total Assets - Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense - Excess Cash
=Total Assets - Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense - ( Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities - max(0, Total Current Liabilities - Total Current Assets+Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities))
=1145.686 - 66.486 - ( 640.09 - max(0, 469.455 - 775.362+640.09))
=773.293

Invested Capital(Q: Apr. 2026 )
=Total Assets - Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense - Excess Cash
=Total Assets - Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense - ( Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities - max(0, Total Current Liabilities - Total Current Assets+Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities))
=1251.431 - 67.579 - ( 730.835 - max(0, 302.549 - 848.978+730.835))
=637.423

Note: The Operating Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Apr. 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.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about ROIC % →
What does a ROIC % of -19.78% mean?
Planet Labs PBC (PL.WS) has a ROIC % of -19.78% as of Apr. 2026. Return on invested capital is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period invested capital. View historical data on Planet Labs PBC and its competitors.
Is Planet Labs PBC's ROIC % too high?
Planet Labs PBC's current ROIC % is -19.78%. Overall, Planet Labs PBC has a GF Score™ of 55/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Planet Labs PBC's ROIC % compare to ARXS and BWXT?
Planet Labs PBC's ROIC % of -19.78% can be compared against companies in the Aerospace & Defense industry. The industry median ROIC % is 4.45. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good ROIC % for an Aerospace & Defense company?
The median ROIC % among Aerospace & Defense companies is 4.45, based on 351 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 Planet Labs PBC and its competitors. For the Aerospace & Defense industry, the median ROIC % is 4.45 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Planet Labs PBC's current ROIC % is -19.78%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Planet Labs PBC stock overvalued right now?
Planet Labs PBC (PL.WS) has a current ROIC % of -19.78%. The current ROIC % is -19.78%. Planet Labs PBC's overall GF Score™ is 55/100 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 Planet Labs PBC (PL.WS), the current ROIC % is -19.78% as of Apr. 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.

Planet Labs PBC Business Description

Address 645 Harrison Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA, USA, 94107
Planet Labs PBC is an Earth-imaging company. It uses space to help life on Earth by imaging the world every day and making change visible, accessible, and actionable. Its platform includes imagery, insights, and machine learning that empower companies, governments, and communities around the world to make timely decisions about the evolving world. Its solutions are Broad Area Management. Its products are Planet Monitoring, Planet Tasking, Planet Analytic Feeds, Planetary Variables, Planet Basemaps, Planet Insights, and Platform Pricing. The group provides solutions to the Agriculture Science Program, Energy & Infrastructure, Forestry & Land Use, Mapping, Sustainability, Maritime, Civil Government, U.S. State and Local, Europe, Planet Federal, Defense & Intelligence, and Armed Services.
55GF Score

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