ROIC % measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. It is also called ROC %. Rocket Lab's annualized return on invested capital (ROIC %) for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was -17.30%.
As of today (2026-07-04), Rocket Lab's WACC % is 29.68%. Rocket Lab's ROIC % is -18.65% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Rocket Lab earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital. It will destroy value as it grows.
Rocket Lab (XSWX:RKLB) 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, Rocket Lab's WACC % is 29.68%. Rocket Lab's ROIC % is -18.65% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Rocket Lab 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.
Rocket Lab ROIC % Related Terms
Rocket Lab ROIC % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Rocket Lab'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 Aerospace & Defense subindustry, Rocket Lab'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.
Rocket Lab ROIC % vs Aerospace & Defense Industry
For the Aerospace & Defense industry and Industrials sector, Rocket Lab's ROIC % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Rocket Lab'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.
Rocket Lab (XSWX:RKLB) has a ROIC % of -17.30% 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 Rocket Lab and its competitors.
Is Rocket Lab's ROIC % too high?
Rocket Lab's current ROIC % is -17.30%. Overall, Rocket Lab has a GF Score™ of 71/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Rocket Lab's ROIC % compare to ?
Rocket Lab's ROIC % of -17.30% can be compared against companies in the Aerospace & Defense industry. The industry median ROIC % is 4.37. 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 4.37, based on 352 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 Rocket Lab and its competitors. For the Aerospace & Defense industry, the median ROIC % is 4.37 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Rocket Lab's current ROIC % is -17.30%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Rocket Lab stock overvalued right now?
Rocket Lab (XSWX:RKLB) has a current ROIC % of -17.30%. The stock's GF Value™ is CHF21.59, compared to a current price of CHF81.13 — trading 275.8% above its estimated fair value. The current ROIC % is -17.30%. Rocket Lab's overall GF Score™ is 71/100 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 Rocket Lab (XSWX:RKLB), the current ROIC % is -17.30% 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 Rocket Lab (XSWX:RKLB) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Rocket Lab stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of CHF81.13 is trading 275.8% above its estimated GF Value™ of CHF21.59.
Key valuation signals for XSWX:RKLB:
ROIC %: -17.30%
GF Value™: CHF21.59 vs. price of CHF81.13 (275.8% above fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the XSWX:RKLB stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Rocket Lab Corp is engaged in space, building rockets, and spacecraft. It provides end-to-end mission services that provide frequent and reliable access to space for civil, defense, and commercial markets. It designs and manufactures the Electron and Neutron launch vehicles and Photon satellite platform. Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle has delivered multiple satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. The business operates in two segments Launch Services and Space Systems. Geographically it serves Japan, and rest of the world and earns key revenue from the United States.
71GF Score
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