AME vs. RKLB: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AME and RKLB, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
AME’s market capitalization of 42.53 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 AME (beta: 1.11) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | AME | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | AMETEK, Inc. | Rocket Lab USA, Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Industrial - Machinery | Aerospace & Defense |
| CEO | David A. Zapico | Peter Beck |
| Price | 184.19 USD | 35.66 USD |
| Market Cap | 42.53 billion USD | 16.45 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.11 | 2.09 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NASDAQ |
| IPO Date | July 19, 1984 | November 24, 2020 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AME 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
AME
14.75%
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 36.51%
- Q3
- 18.65%
- Median
- 12.08%
- Q1
- 4.75%
- Min
- -15.57%
AME’s Return on Equity of 14.75% is on par with the norm for the Industrial - Machinery industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
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
AME
11.22%
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 22.35%
- Q3
- 12.64%
- Median
- 9.33%
- Q1
- 5.32%
- Min
- -5.42%
AME’s Return on Invested Capital of 11.22% is in line with the norm for the Industrial - Machinery industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
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
AME
20.43%
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 28.85%
- Q3
- 15.25%
- Median
- 10.02%
- Q1
- 5.33%
- Min
- -8.75%
A Net Profit Margin of 20.43% places AME in the upper quartile for the Industrial - Machinery 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
AME
26.20%
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 28.19%
- Q3
- 19.04%
- Median
- 14.62%
- Q1
- 8.13%
- Min
- -5.76%
An Operating Profit Margin of 26.20% places AME in the upper quartile for the Industrial - Machinery 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 | AME | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 14.75% | -48.92% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 9.52% | -16.46% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 11.22% | -22.20% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 20.43% | -44.32% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 26.20% | -44.19% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 36.18% | 26.67% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
AME
1.41
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 4.18
- Q3
- 2.75
- Median
- 2.07
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.46
AME’s Current Ratio of 1.41 falls into the lower quartile for the Industrial - Machinery 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
AME
0.19
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 1.46
- Q3
- 0.73
- Median
- 0.48
- Q1
- 0.17
- Min
- 0.00
AME’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.19 is typical for the Industrial - Machinery industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
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
AME
23.38
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 28.91
- Q3
- 14.99
- Median
- 9.11
- Q1
- 3.95
- Min
- -11.30
AME’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 23.38 is in the upper quartile for the Industrial - Machinery industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
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 | AME | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.41 | 2.08 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.86 | 1.72 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.19 | 1.14 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.13 | 0.39 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.73 | -1.11 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 23.38 | -36.50 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AME 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
AME
0.64%
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 4.40%
- Q3
- 1.47%
- Median
- 0.74%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AME’s Dividend Yield of 0.64% is consistent with its peers in the Industrial - Machinery 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
AME
18.74%
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 78.48%
- Q3
- 36.22%
- Median
- 20.24%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AME’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 18.74% is within the typical range for the Industrial - Machinery 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 | AME | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.64% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 18.74% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
AME
29.98
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 47.62
- Q3
- 34.41
- Median
- 27.36
- Q1
- 21.62
- Min
- 10.96
AME’s P/E Ratio of 29.98 is within the middle range for the Industrial - Machinery industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
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
AME
4.01
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 6.15
- Q3
- 3.53
- Median
- 2.82
- Q1
- 1.71
- Min
- 0.09
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Industrial - Machinery industry.
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
AME
6.13
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 8.37
- Q3
- 4.59
- Median
- 3.34
- Q1
- 1.83
- Min
- 0.32
AME’s P/S Ratio of 6.13 is in the upper echelon for the Industrial - Machinery industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
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
AME
4.26
Industrial - Machinery Industry
- Max
- 7.49
- Q3
- 5.01
- Median
- 3.41
- Q1
- 2.45
- Min
- 0.01
AME’s P/B Ratio of 4.26 is within the conventional range for the Industrial - Machinery industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
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 | AME | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 29.98 | -87.30 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 4.01 | 10.77 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 6.13 | 35.31 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 4.26 | 41.80 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 24.82 | -92.90 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 21.00 | -99.43 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 6.35 | 35.71 |