ESLT vs. RKLB: Elbit Systems vs. Rocket Lab Stock Comparison

Company Profile

Elbit Systems (ESLT) 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.

Elbit Systems (ESLT) has more than two decades of public-market history since November 27, 1996, whereas Rocket Lab (RKLB) listed on November 24, 2020 and has a much shorter record to draw on.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Rocket Lab (RKLB) has a highly aggressive beta of 3.14, indicating much higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Elbit Systems (ESLT) is defensive at 0.10 and tends to be less market-sensitive — a wide gap in beta profiles.

Rocket Lab (RKLB) is heavily traded at around 19.51M shares per day, whereas Elbit Systems (ESLT) is thinly traded at only 88.09K — larger orders in the latter may face more price impact or wider spreads, depending on market conditions.

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

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 Elbit Systems (ESLT) reports 15.24%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Rocket Lab (RKLB) reports a negative net margin of -21.51%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Elbit Systems (ESLT) reports 7.44%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Rocket Lab (RKLB) reports a negative operating margin of -24.57%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile Elbit Systems (ESLT) reports 9.57%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 37.96% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Elbit Systems (ESLT) at 16.27% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for RKLB.

Only one side can be read here: Elbit Systems (ESLT) reports EPS growth of 58.64%, ranked against its industry; Rocket Lab (RKLB) has no EPS growth figure this period.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 5.48 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while Elbit Systems (ESLT) at 1.40 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.

Both Elbit Systems (ESLT) at 0.19 and Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 0.04 keep leverage in the lower quartile of their industries, with less balance-sheet debt relative to equity than most peers.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Rocket Lab (RKLB) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Elbit Systems (ESLT) reports a yield of 0.58%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Rocket Lab (RKLB) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Elbit Systems (ESLT) reports a payout of 23.33%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Elbit Systems (ESLT) trades at 51.36 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Rocket Lab (RKLB) has no P/E ratio this period.

Elbit Systems (ESLT) at 3.74 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 44.12 clears its benchmark range — RKLB looks notably rich on sales.

Both Elbit Systems (ESLT) at 7.24 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.

Valuation Metrics