AXON vs. RKLB: Axon Enterprise vs. Rocket Lab Stock Comparison
How do Axon Enterprise (AXON) and Rocket Lab (RKLB) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Axon Enterprise (AXON) and Rocket Lab (RKLB) are both classified in the Aerospace & Defense sub-industry within the broader Aerospace & Defense industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
Axon Enterprise (AXON) has more than two decades of public-market history since June 19, 2001, whereas Rocket Lab (RKLB) listed on November 24, 2020 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
| Profile Item | AXON | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Axon Enterprise, Inc. | Rocket Lab Corporation |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry Group | Capital Goods | Capital Goods |
| GICS Industry | Aerospace & Defense | Aerospace & Defense |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Aerospace & Defense | Aerospace & Defense |
| Market Capitalization | 25.49 billion USD | 33.93 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | June 19, 2001 | November 24, 2020 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AXON | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -48.97% | 12.96% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 12.54% | 138.86% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 11.75% | 31.49% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | AXON | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 64.30% | 95.71% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.55 | 3.14 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -64.70% | -78.32% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 1.06M | 19.51M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AXON | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.83 | 0.09 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -1.14 | 0.14 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Rocket Lab (RKLB) reports a negative ROE of -7.92%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Axon Enterprise (AXON) reports 7.61%, ranking against industry peers normally.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
7.61%
- Max
- 40.55%
- Q3
- 19.29%
- Median
- 12.12%
- AXON
- 7.61%
- Q1
- 4.08%
- Min
- -17.12%
RKLB
Capital Goods industry group
-7.92%
- Max
- 40.55%
- Q3
- 19.29%
- Median
- 12.12%
- Q1
- 4.08%
- RKLB
- -7.92%
- Min
- -17.12%
Net Margin (TTM)
Rocket Lab (RKLB) reports a negative net margin of -21.51%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Axon Enterprise (AXON) reports 7.57%, ranking against industry peers normally.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
7.57%
- Max
- 27.47%
- Q3
- 12.10%
- AXON
- 7.57%
- Median
- 6.30%
- Q1
- 1.40%
- Min
- -12.89%
RKLB
Capital Goods industry group
-21.51%
- Max
- 27.47%
- Q3
- 12.10%
- Median
- 6.30%
- Q1
- 1.40%
- Min
- -12.89%
- RKLB
- -21.51%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Rocket Lab (RKLB) reports a negative operating margin of -24.57%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile Axon Enterprise (AXON) reports 4.63%, ranking against industry peers normally.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
4.63%
- Max
- 36.60%
- Q3
- 18.33%
- Median
- 11.12%
- Q1
- 5.14%
- AXON
- 4.63%
- Min
- -12.63%
RKLB
Capital Goods industry group
-24.57%
- Max
- 36.60%
- Q3
- 18.33%
- Median
- 11.12%
- Q1
- 5.14%
- Min
- -12.63%
- RKLB
- -24.57%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AXON | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 7.61% | -7.92% |
| ROA (TTM) | 0.81% | -4.62% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 7.57% | -21.51% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 4.63% | -24.57% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 58.64% | 37.26% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Axon Enterprise (AXON) at 33.47% and Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 37.96% sit in the top peer quartile for revenue growth, so each is growing its top line faster than typical industry peers.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Axon Enterprise (AXON) reports EPS growth of -68.54%, ranked against its industry; Rocket Lab (RKLB) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AXON | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 33.47% | 37.96% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 32.79% | 41.82% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -68.54% | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -9.39% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Axon Enterprise (AXON) at 3.00 and Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 5.48 post current ratio above their industries’ typical mid-ranges — short-term liquidity appears comfortable, though unusually high readings can point to idle current assets.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
3.00
- Max
- 5.22
- AXON
- 3.00
- Q3
- 2.95
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.43
- Min
- 0.36
RKLB
Capital Goods industry group
5.48
- RKLB
- 5.48
- Max
- 5.22
- Q3
- 2.95
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.43
- Min
- 0.36
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 0.04 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while Axon Enterprise (AXON) at 0.79 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
0.79
- Max
- 2.33
- Q3
- 1.12
- AXON
- 0.79
- Median
- 0.60
- Q1
- 0.29
- Min
- 0.00
RKLB
Capital Goods industry group
0.04
- Max
- 2.33
- Q3
- 1.12
- Median
- 0.60
- Q1
- 0.29
- RKLB
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AXON | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 3.00 | 5.48 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.79 | 0.04 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 5.98 | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Axon Enterprise (AXON) nor Rocket Lab (RKLB) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 2.66%
- Q3
- 1.14%
- Median
- 0.24%
- AXON
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
RKLB
Capital Goods industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 2.66%
- Q3
- 1.14%
- Median
- 0.24%
- RKLB
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Axon Enterprise (AXON) nor Rocket Lab (RKLB) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 67.39%
- Q3
- 28.02%
- Median
- 6.86%
- AXON
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
RKLB
Capital Goods industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 67.39%
- Q3
- 28.02%
- Median
- 6.86%
- RKLB
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AXON | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Axon Enterprise (AXON) trades at 100.64 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Rocket Lab (RKLB) has no P/E ratio this period.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
100.64
- AXON
- 100.64
- Max
- 59.38
- Q3
- 35.92
- Median
- 25.41
- Q1
- 19.47
- Min
- 3.03
RKLB
Capital Goods industry group
--
- Max
- 59.38
- Q3
- 35.92
- Median
- 25.41
- Q1
- 19.47
- Min
- 3.03
- RKLB
- --
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Both look expensive on sales: Axon Enterprise (AXON) at 7.46 sits in the upper P/S ratio quartile, and Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 44.12 prices even higher, above its industry range.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
7.46
- Max
- 7.54
- AXON
- 7.46
- Q3
- 3.76
- Median
- 2.15
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.03
RKLB
Capital Goods industry group
44.12
- RKLB
- 44.12
- Max
- 7.54
- Q3
- 3.76
- Median
- 2.15
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both Axon Enterprise (AXON) at 6.74 and Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 9.09 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
6.74
- Max
- 9.66
- AXON
- 6.74
- Q3
- 5.00
- Median
- 3.12
- Q1
- 1.81
- Min
- -1.08
RKLB
Capital Goods industry group
9.09
- Max
- 9.66
- RKLB
- 9.09
- Q3
- 5.00
- Median
- 3.12
- Q1
- 1.81
- Min
- -1.08
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AXON | RKLB |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 100.64 | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 7.46 | 44.12 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 6.74 | 9.09 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 0.38% | -0.74% |