RKLB vs. SYM: Rocket Lab vs. Symbotic Stock Comparison
How do Rocket Lab (RKLB) and Symbotic (SYM) 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
Rocket Lab (RKLB) and Symbotic (SYM) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but RKLB is classified in Aerospace & Defense while SYM is classified in Machinery.
| Profile Item | RKLB | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Rocket Lab Corporation | Symbotic Inc. Class A Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry Group | Capital Goods | Capital Goods |
| GICS Industry | Aerospace & Defense | Machinery |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Aerospace & Defense | Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components |
| Market Capitalization | 33.93 billion USD | 22.29 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | November 24, 2020 | March 9, 2021 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | RKLB | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 12.96% | -44.66% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 138.86% | 6.78% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 31.49% | 30.90% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | RKLB | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 95.71% | 78.15% |
| Beta (5Y) | 3.14 | 2.05 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -78.32% | -72.46% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 19.51M | 1.61M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | RKLB | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.09 | -0.63 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.14 | -0.93 |
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 Symbotic (SYM) reports 4.39%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
4.39%
- Max
- 40.55%
- Q3
- 19.29%
- Median
- 12.12%
- SYM
- 4.39%
- Q1
- 4.08%
- 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 Symbotic (SYM) reports 0.31%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
0.31%
- Max
- 27.47%
- Q3
- 12.10%
- Median
- 6.30%
- Q1
- 1.40%
- SYM
- 0.31%
- Min
- -12.89%
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 Symbotic (SYM) reports 4.59%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
4.59%
- Max
- 36.60%
- Q3
- 18.33%
- Median
- 11.12%
- Q1
- 5.14%
- SYM
- 4.59%
- Min
- -12.63%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | RKLB | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -7.92% | 4.39% |
| ROA (TTM) | -4.62% | 0.32% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | -21.51% | 0.31% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -24.57% | 4.59% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 37.26% | 21.27% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 37.96% and Symbotic (SYM) at 25.65% sit in the top peer quartile for revenue growth, so each is growing its top line faster than typical industry peers.
EPS Growth
Neither Rocket Lab (RKLB) nor Symbotic (SYM) reports a EPS growth value for this period, so a direct comparison isn't possible.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | RKLB | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 37.96% | 25.65% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 41.82% | 55.87% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 5.48 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while Symbotic (SYM) at 1.33 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.
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
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
1.33
- Max
- 5.22
- Q3
- 2.95
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.43
- SYM
- 1.33
- Min
- 0.36
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 0.04 and Symbotic (SYM) at 0.02 keep leverage in the lower quartile of their industries, with less balance-sheet debt relative to equity than most peers.
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
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
0.02
- Max
- 2.33
- Q3
- 1.12
- Median
- 0.60
- Q1
- 0.29
- SYM
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | RKLB | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 5.48 | 1.33 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.04 | 0.02 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -30.44 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Rocket Lab (RKLB) nor Symbotic (SYM) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
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%
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 2.66%
- Q3
- 1.14%
- Median
- 0.24%
- SYM
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Rocket Lab (RKLB) nor Symbotic (SYM) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
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%
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 67.39%
- Q3
- 28.02%
- Median
- 6.86%
- SYM
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | RKLB | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| 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: Symbotic (SYM) trades at 460.25 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Rocket Lab (RKLB) has no P/E ratio this period.
RKLB
Capital Goods industry group
--
- Max
- 59.38
- Q3
- 35.92
- Median
- 25.41
- Q1
- 19.47
- Min
- 3.03
- RKLB
- --
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
460.25
- SYM
- 460.25
- Max
- 59.38
- Q3
- 35.92
- Median
- 25.41
- Q1
- 19.47
- Min
- 3.03
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Investors are paying well above the peer range per dollar of sales for both Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 44.12 and Symbotic (SYM) at 8.42 — each P/S ratio clears its industry’s benchmark range.
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
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
8.42
- SYM
- 8.42
- Max
- 7.54
- Q3
- 3.76
- Median
- 2.15
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 9.09 and Symbotic (SYM) at 6.70 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.
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
SYM
Capital Goods industry group
6.70
- Max
- 9.66
- SYM
- 6.70
- Q3
- 5.00
- Median
- 3.12
- Q1
- 1.81
- Min
- -1.08
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | RKLB | SYM |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | -- | 460.25 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 44.12 | 8.42 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 9.09 | 6.70 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -0.74% | 2.46% |