RKLB vs. URI: Rocket Lab vs. United Rentals Stock Comparison
How do Rocket Lab (RKLB) and United Rentals (URI) 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 United Rentals (URI) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but RKLB is classified in Aerospace & Defense while URI is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors.
United Rentals (URI) has more than two decades of public-market history since December 18, 1997, whereas Rocket Lab (RKLB) listed on November 24, 2020 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
| Profile Item | RKLB | URI |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Rocket Lab Corporation | United Rentals Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry Group | Capital Goods | Capital Goods |
| GICS Industry | Aerospace & Defense | Trading Companies & Distributors |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Aerospace & Defense | Trading Companies & Distributors |
| Market Capitalization | 33.93 billion USD | 65.36 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | November 24, 2020 | December 18, 1997 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | RKLB | URI |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 12.96% | 35.39% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 138.86% | 38.68% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 31.49% | 24.76% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Rocket Lab (RKLB) is heavily traded at around 19.51M shares per day, whereas United Rentals (URI) sees a more moderate 496.78K — larger orders in the latter may require more patience and tighter control over order sizing.
| Metric | RKLB | URI |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 95.71% | 44.71% |
| Beta (5Y) | 3.14 | 1.81 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -78.32% | -39.76% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 19.51M | 496.78K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | RKLB | URI |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.09 | 0.70 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.14 | 1.16 |
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 United Rentals (URI) reports 30.56%, 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%
URI
Capital Goods industry group
30.56%
- Max
- 40.55%
- URI
- 30.56%
- Q3
- 19.29%
- Median
- 12.12%
- 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 United Rentals (URI) reports 16.33%, 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%
URI
Capital Goods industry group
16.33%
- Max
- 27.47%
- URI
- 16.33%
- Q3
- 12.10%
- Median
- 6.30%
- Q1
- 1.40%
- 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 United Rentals (URI) reports 29.21%, 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%
URI
Capital Goods industry group
29.21%
- Max
- 36.60%
- URI
- 29.21%
- Q3
- 18.33%
- Median
- 11.12%
- Q1
- 5.14%
- Min
- -12.63%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | RKLB | URI |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -7.92% | 30.56% |
| ROA (TTM) | -4.62% | 9.14% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | -21.51% | 16.33% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -24.57% | 29.21% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 37.26% | 39.19% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 37.96% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while United Rentals (URI) at 4.91% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for RKLB.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: United Rentals (URI) reports EPS growth of -0.21%, ranked against its industry; Rocket Lab (RKLB) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | RKLB | URI |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 37.96% | 4.91% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 41.82% | 11.41% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | -0.21% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 9.20% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 5.48 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while United Rentals (URI) at 0.80 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
URI
Capital Goods industry group
0.80
- Max
- 5.22
- Q3
- 2.95
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.43
- URI
- 0.80
- Min
- 0.36
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 0.04 keeps leverage in the lower quartile, while United Rentals (URI) at 1.64 sits in the higher-leverage quartile.
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
URI
Capital Goods industry group
1.64
- Max
- 2.33
- URI
- 1.64
- Q3
- 1.12
- Median
- 0.60
- Q1
- 0.29
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | RKLB | URI |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 5.48 | 0.80 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.04 | 1.64 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | 3.12 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Rocket Lab (RKLB) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile United Rentals (URI) reports a yield of 0.74%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
URI
Capital Goods industry group
0.74%
- Max
- 2.66%
- Q3
- 1.14%
- URI
- 0.74%
- Median
- 0.24%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Rocket Lab (RKLB) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile United Rentals (URI) reports a payout of 16.95%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
URI
Capital Goods industry group
16.95%
- Max
- 67.39%
- Q3
- 28.02%
- URI
- 16.95%
- Median
- 6.86%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | RKLB | URI |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.74% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 16.95% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: United Rentals (URI) trades at 23.24 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
- --
URI
Capital Goods industry group
23.24
- Max
- 59.38
- Q3
- 35.92
- Median
- 25.41
- URI
- 23.24
- Q1
- 19.47
- Min
- 3.03
P/S Ratio (TTM)
United Rentals (URI) 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.
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
URI
Capital Goods industry group
3.74
- Max
- 7.54
- Q3
- 3.76
- URI
- 3.74
- Median
- 2.15
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 9.09 and United Rentals (URI) at 6.75 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
URI
Capital Goods industry group
6.75
- Max
- 9.66
- URI
- 6.75
- Q3
- 5.00
- Median
- 3.12
- Q1
- 1.81
- Min
- -1.08
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | RKLB | URI |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | -- | 23.24 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 44.12 | 3.74 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 9.09 | 6.75 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -0.74% | 3.24% |