ADP vs. RKLB: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ADP and RKLB, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
ADP’s market capitalization of 125.51 billion USD is substantially larger than RKLB’s 16.45 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
RKLB carries a higher beta at 2.09, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while ADP (beta: 0.80) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | ADP | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Automatic Data Processing, Inc. | Rocket Lab USA, Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Staffing & Employment Services | Aerospace & Defense |
| CEO | Maria Black | Peter Beck |
| Price | 309.2 USD | 35.66 USD |
| Market Cap | 125.51 billion USD | 16.45 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.80 | 2.09 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NASDAQ |
| IPO Date | March 17, 1980 | November 24, 2020 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ADP and RKLB by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
ADP
76.78%
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 76.78%
- Q3
- 46.63%
- Median
- 19.55%
- Q1
- 6.99%
- Min
- -1.64%
In the upper quartile for the Staffing & Employment Services industry, ADP’s Return on Equity of 76.78% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
RKLB
-48.92%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 42.57%
- Q3
- 16.67%
- Median
- 8.39%
- Q1
- -0.77%
- Min
- -23.36%
RKLB has a negative Return on Equity of -48.92%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.
Return on Invested Capital
ADP
23.22%
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 23.22%
- Q3
- 18.16%
- Median
- 9.93%
- Q1
- 4.57%
- Min
- -1.94%
In the upper quartile for the Staffing & Employment Services industry, ADP’s Return on Invested Capital of 23.22% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
RKLB
-22.20%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 23.42%
- Q3
- 8.86%
- Median
- 5.47%
- Q1
- -5.60%
- Min
- -22.46%
RKLB has a negative Return on Invested Capital of -22.20%. This indicates that its operations are failing to generate a profit on the total capital invested, signaling significant inefficiency or value destruction.
Net Profit Margin
ADP
19.79%
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 30.46%
- Q3
- 17.07%
- Median
- 3.53%
- Q1
- 0.98%
- Min
- -4.15%
A Net Profit Margin of 19.79% places ADP in the upper quartile for the Staffing & Employment Services industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
RKLB
-44.32%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 22.67%
- Q3
- 8.04%
- Median
- 4.95%
- Q1
- -5.07%
- Min
- -16.58%
RKLB has a negative Net Profit Margin of -44.32%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.
Operating Profit Margin
ADP
17.38%
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 19.92%
- Q3
- 12.35%
- Median
- 4.95%
- Q1
- 2.59%
- Min
- -2.06%
An Operating Profit Margin of 17.38% places ADP in the upper quartile for the Staffing & Employment Services industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
RKLB
-44.19%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 22.01%
- Q3
- 11.49%
- Median
- 8.96%
- Q1
- 3.77%
- Min
- -4.96%
RKLB has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -44.19%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 76.78% | -48.92% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 7.08% | -16.46% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 23.22% | -22.20% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 19.79% | -44.32% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.38% | -44.19% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 47.09% | 26.67% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
ADP
1.02
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 2.06
- Q3
- 2.01
- Median
- 1.65
- Q1
- 1.15
- Min
- 1.02
ADP’s Current Ratio of 1.02 falls into the lower quartile for the Staffing & Employment Services industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
RKLB
2.08
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 5.13
- Q3
- 3.36
- Median
- 2.16
- Q1
- 1.20
- Min
- 0.41
RKLB’s Current Ratio of 2.08 aligns with the median group of the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
ADP
0.73
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 0.73
- Q3
- 0.70
- Median
- 0.22
- Q1
- 0.11
- Min
- 0.02
ADP’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Staffing & Employment Services industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.73. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.
RKLB
1.14
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 1.20
- Q3
- 0.73
- Median
- 0.51
- Q1
- 0.09
- Min
- 0.00
RKLB’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Aerospace & Defense industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.14. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.
Interest Coverage Ratio
ADP
7.90
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 7.90
- Q3
- 7.90
- Median
- 2.91
- Q1
- -0.32
- Min
- -1.17
ADP’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.90 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Staffing & Employment Services industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
RKLB
-36.50
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 12.62
- Q3
- 7.38
- Median
- 2.95
- Q1
- 1.68
- Min
- -6.68
RKLB has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -36.50. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.02 | 2.08 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.02 | 1.72 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.73 | 1.14 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.08 | 0.39 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.26 | -1.11 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.90 | -36.50 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ADP and RKLB. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
ADP
1.95%
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 5.58%
- Q3
- 3.50%
- Median
- 2.08%
- Q1
- 0.83%
- Min
- 0.00%
ADP’s Dividend Yield of 1.95% is consistent with its peers in the Staffing & Employment Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
RKLB
0.00%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 6.00%
- Q3
- 0.66%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
RKLB currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
Dividend Payout Ratio
ADP
58.73%
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 161.25%
- Q3
- 109.23%
- Median
- 58.73%
- Q1
- 15.69%
- Min
- 0.00%
ADP’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 58.73% is within the typical range for the Staffing & Employment Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
RKLB
0.00%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 172.02%
- Q3
- 32.47%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
RKLB has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.95% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 58.73% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
ADP
31.47
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 35.74
- Q3
- 30.98
- Median
- 20.51
- Q1
- 15.65
- Min
- 7.85
A P/E Ratio of 31.47 places ADP in the upper quartile for the Staffing & Employment Services industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
RKLB
-87.30
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 75.34
- Q3
- 54.40
- Median
- 38.63
- Q1
- 26.10
- Min
- 16.44
RKLB has a negative P/E Ratio of -87.30. This occurs when a company has negative earnings (a net loss), making the ratio unsuitable for valuation analysis.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
ADP
3.56
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 3.23
- Q3
- 1.89
- Median
- 1.18
- Q1
- 1.00
- Min
- 0.39
ADP’s Forward PEG Ratio of 3.56 is exceptionally high for the Staffing & Employment Services industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.
RKLB
10.77
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 10.68
- Q3
- 5.36
- Median
- 2.31
- Q1
- 1.47
- Min
- 0.01
RKLB’s Forward PEG Ratio of 10.77 is exceptionally high for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
ADP
6.21
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 3.70
- Q3
- 2.09
- Median
- 0.86
- Q1
- 0.59
- Min
- 0.09
With a P/S Ratio of 6.21, ADP trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Staffing & Employment Services industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
RKLB
35.31
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 19.34
- Q3
- 9.54
- Median
- 2.71
- Q1
- 1.59
- Min
- 0.35
With a P/S Ratio of 35.31, RKLB trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Aerospace & Defense industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
Price-to-Book Ratio
ADP
21.49
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 21.09
- Q3
- 12.56
- Median
- 3.17
- Q1
- 1.96
- Min
- 0.33
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Staffing & Employment Services industry.
RKLB
41.80
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 16.08
- Q3
- 8.12
- Median
- 4.12
- Q1
- 2.69
- Min
- 0.69
At 41.80, RKLB’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Aerospace & Defense industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 31.47 | -87.30 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.56 | 10.77 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 6.21 | 35.31 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 21.49 | 41.80 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 27.77 | -92.90 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 20.57 | -99.43 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 6.29 | 35.71 |