ROIC % measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. It is also called ROC %. Smithfield Foods's annualized return on invested capital (ROIC %) for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 11.12%.
As of today (2026-06-26), Smithfield Foods's WACC % is 8.60%. Smithfield Foods's ROIC % is 11.19% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Smithfield Foods 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.
Smithfield Foods (NAS:SFD) 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, Smithfield Foods's WACC % is 8.60%. Smithfield Foods's ROIC % is 11.19% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Smithfield Foods 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.
Smithfield Foods ROIC % Related Terms
Smithfield Foods ROIC % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Smithfield Foods'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 Packaged Foods subindustry, Smithfield Foods'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.
Smithfield Foods ROIC % vs Consumer Packaged Goods Industry
For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Smithfield Foods's ROIC % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Smithfield Foods'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.
Smithfield Foods (SFD) has a ROIC % of 11.12% 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 Smithfield Foods and its competitors.
Is Smithfield Foods' ROIC % too high?
Smithfield Foods' current ROIC % is 11.12%. The Consumer Packaged Goods industry median ROIC % is 5.14. Smithfield Foods' value of 11.12% is 116.3% above this industry median. Overall, Smithfield Foods has a GF Score™ of 30/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Smithfield Foods' ROIC % compare to DAR and SJM?
Smithfield Foods' ROIC % of 11.12% can be compared against companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry. The industry median ROIC % is 5.14. Smithfield Foods' value of 11.12% is 116.3% above this benchmark. 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 Consumer Packaged Goods company?
The median ROIC % among Consumer Packaged Goods companies is 5.14, based on 1,948 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. Smithfield Foods's current ROIC % of 11.12% is 116.3% 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 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 Smithfield Foods and its competitors. For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, the median ROIC % is 5.14 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Smithfield Foods's current ROIC % is 11.12%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Smithfield Foods stock overvalued right now?
Smithfield Foods (SFD) has a current ROIC % of 11.12%. The current ROIC % is 11.12% and 116.3% above the Consumer Packaged Goods industry median of 5.14. Smithfield Foods' overall GF Score™ is 30/100 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 Smithfield Foods (SFD), the current ROIC % is 11.12% 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.
Smithfield Foods Inc is a hog producer and pork processor based in the United States of America. The company conducts its operations through three reportable segments: Packaged Meats, Fresh Pork, and Hog Production. The company generates the maximum of its revenue from the Packaged Meats segment. The Packaged Meats segment consists of the company's U.S. operations that process fresh meat into a wide variety of packaged meats products, including bacon, sausage, hot dogs, deli and lunch meats, dry sausage products (such as pepperoni and genoa), ham products, ready-to-eat products and prepared foods (such as pre-cooked entrees, bacon and sausage).
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