Is Rocket Lab Stock Outperforming Its Rivals?
Rocket Lab’s stock has significantly outperformed over the past year, soaring as a leader in the rapidly expanding commercial space industry. But how does its rapid growth in this nascent sector compare to established tech peers? A closer look reveals explosive revenue growth, yet negative profitability and free cash flow. This indicates a high-potential, pre-profit stage, offering significant upside in a catalyst-rich sector, but reflecting higher inherent risks than its mature counterparts.
- RKLB’s -41.4% operating margin reflects heavy Neutron rocket R&D investment; AAPL’s 31.9% signals a mature, high-margin product ecosystem.
- RKLB’s 52.4% revenue growth, outpacing peers, highlights strong demand for small satellite launch & space systems.
- RKLB’s 167.7% gain shows investor confidence in its space tech; a -188.5 PE reflects high growth, pre-profitability.
Here’s how Rocket Lab stacks up across size, valuation, and profitability versus key peers.
| RKLB | HPQ | HPE | IBM | CSCO | AAPL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap ($ Bil) | 37.2 | 21.5 | 32.1 | 282.1 | 306.2 | 4,069.7 |
| Revenue ($ Bil) | 0.6 | 55.3 | 34.3 | 65.4 | 57.7 | 408.6 |
| PE Ratio | -188.5 | 8.5 | 562.9 | 35.7 | 29.6 | 41.0 |
| LTM Revenue Growth | 52.4% | 3.2% | 13.8% | 4.5% | 8.9% | 6.0% |
| LTM Operating Margin | -41.4% | 6.6% | 4.8% | 17.7% | 22.5% | 31.9% |
| LTM FCF Margin | -41.8% | 5.1% | 1.8% | 18.1% | 22.1% | 23.5% |
| 12M Market Return | 167.7% | -26.7% | 15.5% | 40.7% | 34.2% | 8.8% |
For more details on Rocket Lab, read Buy or Sell RKLB Stock. Below we compare RKLB’s growth, margin, and valuation with peers across years
Revenue Growth Comparison
| LTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RKLB | 52.4% | – | 78.3% | 15.9% | 239.0% |
| HPQ | 3.2% | 3.2% | -0.3% | -14.6% | |
| HPE | 13.8% | 13.8% | 3.4% | 2.2% | |
| IBM | 4.5% | – | 1.4% | 2.2% | 5.5% |
| CSCO | 8.9% | 5.3% | -5.6% | 10.6% | |
| AAPL | 6.0% | – | 2.0% | -2.8% | 7.8% |
Operating Margin Comparison
| LTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RKLB | -41.4% | – | -43.5% | -72.7% | -64.1% |
| HPQ | 6.6% | 6.6% | 7.8% | 7.9% | |
| HPE | 4.8% | 4.8% | 8.3% | 8.4% | |
| IBM | 17.7% | – | 16.1% | 15.9% | 13.5% |
| CSCO | 22.5% | 22.1% | 24.1% | 27.3% | |
| AAPL | 31.9% | – | 31.5% | 29.8% | 30.3% |
PE Ratio Comparison
| LTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RKLB | -188.5 | – | -66.4 | -14.6 | -12.9 |
| HPQ | 8.5 | 12.2 | 10.6 | 8.2 | |
| HPE | 562.9 | 495.9 | 8.6 | 10.2 | |
| IBM | 35.7 | – | 33.6 | 19.9 | 77.5 |
| CSCO | 29.6 | 23.1 | 19.8 | 15.5 | |
| AAPL | 41.0 | – | 41.0 | 31.3 | 21.1 |
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