Return
on Capital by Sector (US)Data Used: Multiple data services
Date of Analysis: Data used is as of January 2025
Download as an excel file instead: https://www.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/pc/datasets/roc.xls
For global datasets: https://www.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/New_Home_Page/data.html
can be obtained by clicking here
on
which companies are included in each industry
| Industry Name | Number of firms | Unadjusted pre-tax ROIC | Lease Adjusted pre-tax ROIC | Lease & R&D adjusted pre-tax ROIC | Unadjusted after-tax ROIC | Lease Adjusted after-tax ROIC | Lease & R&D adjusted after-tax ROIC | Normalized ROIC (last 10 years) |
| Advertising | 54 | 88.29% | 47.18% | 37.77% | 81.52% | 43.57% | 34.91% | 55.05% |
| Aerospace/Defense | 67 | 21.37% | 20.07% | 15.71% | 19.01% | 17.86% | 14.03% | 11.67% |
| Air Transport | 24 | 12.24% | 9.54% | 9.43% | 11.00% | 8.57% | 8.48% | 11.51% |
| Apparel | 37 | 20.04% | 16.67% | 16.60% | 18.42% | 15.32% | 15.26% | 21.49% |
| Auto & Truck | 34 | 3.67% | 3.69% | 3.22% | 3.60% | 3.61% | 3.15% | 5.10% |
| Auto Parts | 33 | 13.29% | 12.63% | 9.87% | 11.59% | 11.02% | 8.66% | 19.40% |
| Bank (Money Center) | 15 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Banks (Regional) | 591 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Beverage (Alcoholic) | 18 | 20.06% | 19.48% | 19.48% | 18.40% | 17.86% | 17.86% | 18.76% |
| Beverage (Soft) | 29 | 35.44% | 33.70% | 32.89% | 32.98% | 31.36% | 30.61% | 26.07% |
| Broadcasting | 22 | 15.36% | 14.20% | 14.20% | 13.72% | 12.68% | 12.68% | 18.23% |
| Brokerage & Investment Banking | 30 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Building Materials | 39 | 38.24% | 35.85% | 33.08% | 30.93% | 29.00% | 26.84% | 21.45% |
| Business & Consumer Services | 152 | 36.90% | 32.56% | 30.59% | 32.29% | 28.50% | 26.83% | 27.53% |
| Cable TV | 9 | 16.55% | 15.45% | 15.36% | 14.82% | 13.83% | 13.75% | 15.05% |
| Chemical (Basic) | 31 | 10.21% | 9.91% | 9.47% | 9.40% | 9.12% | 8.71% | 15.85% |
| Chemical (Diversified) | 4 | 6.12% | 5.87% | 5.35% | 6.12% | 5.87% | 5.35% | 13.65% |
| Chemical (Specialty) | 60 | 14.22% | 13.81% | 12.57% | 12.80% | 12.43% | 11.31% | 15.81% |
| Coal & Related Energy | 16 | 13.84% | 13.78% | 13.51% | 13.46% | 13.40% | 13.14% | 4.99% |
| Computer Services | 63 | 32.42% | 29.73% | 22.93% | 28.92% | 26.53% | 20.51% | 37.50% |
| Computers/Peripherals | 35 | 82.61% | 75.84% | 45.45% | 75.18% | 69.02% | 41.41% | 54.44% |
| Construction Supplies | 46 | 24.28% | 23.76% | 21.29% | 20.99% | 20.54% | 18.41% | 14.99% |
| Diversified | 21 | 26.63% | 26.37% | 25.95% | 25.29% | 25.04% | 24.65% | 14.49% |
| Drugs (Biotechnology) | 535 | 1.41% | 1.22% | 3.09% | 1.40% | 1.20% | 3.08% | 20.40% |
| Drugs (Pharmaceutical) | 231 | 23.85% | 23.14% | 14.41% | 23.23% | 22.54% | 14.08% | 22.79% |
| Education | 29 | 26.81% | 15.64% | 13.43% | 23.62% | 13.78% | 11.86% | 13.03% |
| Electrical Equipment | 101 | 16.06% | 15.42% | 12.86% | 15.23% | 14.62% | 12.23% | 16.89% |
| Electronics (Consumer & Office) | 11 | -16.20% | -14.24% | -5.81% | -16.20% | -14.24% | -5.81% | -1.60% |
| Electronics (General) | 122 | 18.95% | 17.98% | 14.03% | 17.70% | 16.79% | 13.11% | 18.16% |
| Engineering/Construction | 42 | 24.06% | 22.55% | 22.46% | 20.52% | 19.23% | 19.16% | 14.85% |
| Entertainment | 96 | 13.42% | 11.45% | 10.15% | 13.14% | 11.21% | 9.94% | 13.61% |
| Environmental & Waste Services | 50 | 36.98% | 34.99% | 34.04% | 34.45% | 32.60% | 31.72% | 21.74% |
| Farming/Agriculture | 35 | 11.61% | 11.63% | 10.93% | 10.58% | 10.60% | 9.97% | 9.93% |
| Financial Svcs. (Non-bank & Insurance) | 166 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Food Processing | 77 | 21.20% | 20.53% | 19.91% | 19.05% | 18.46% | 17.90% | 21.49% |
| Food Wholesalers | 14 | 24.38% | 20.49% | 20.49% | 20.60% | 17.30% | 17.30% | 14.95% |
| Furn/Home Furnishings | 28 | 14.54% | 13.30% | 12.04% | 12.85% | 11.76% | 10.65% | 19.37% |
| Green & Renewable Energy | 18 | 4.17% | 3.72% | 3.71% | 4.12% | 3.68% | 3.67% | 1.55% |
| Healthcare Products | 218 | 20.75% | 20.00% | 15.33% | 19.90% | 19.18% | 14.71% | 17.16% |
| Healthcare Support Services | 113 | 64.33% | 50.25% | 48.91% | 58.67% | 45.83% | 44.60% | 38.92% |
| Heathcare Information and Technology | 116 | 17.28% | 16.37% | 13.25% | 16.62% | 15.75% | 12.74% | 20.55% |
| Homebuilding | 30 | 25.77% | 25.58% | 25.58% | 21.20% | 21.05% | 21.05% | 16.71% |
| Hospitals/Healthcare Facilities | 33 | 29.20% | 23.37% | 23.30% | 26.56% | 21.26% | 21.19% | 19.31% |
| Hotel/Gaming | 65 | 24.27% | 14.49% | 13.62% | 21.69% | 12.95% | 12.17% | 9.31% |
| Household Products | 101 | 43.87% | 41.09% | 36.47% | 40.36% | 37.81% | 33.56% | 36.53% |
| Information Services | 16 | 36.95% | 33.19% | 28.97% | 31.27% | 28.09% | 24.55% | 23.51% |
| Insurance (General) | 22 | 20.07% | 19.20% | 19.13% | 18.31% | 17.51% | 17.45% | 10.85% |
| Insurance (Life) | 19 | 8.18% | 8.15% | 8.15% | 6.99% | 6.96% | 6.96% | 9.97% |
| Insurance (Prop/Cas.) | 53 | 26.58% | 26.19% | 26.19% | 22.31% | 21.99% | 21.99% | 12.04% |
| Investments & Asset Management | 231 | 7.76% | 7.27% | 7.24% | 7.28% | 6.82% | 6.80% | 5.32% |
| Machinery | 109 | 32.73% | 31.46% | 27.89% | 29.05% | 27.93% | 24.76% | 24.75% |
| Metals & Mining | 64 | 28.75% | 27.79% | 27.63% | 28.23% | 27.29% | 27.13% | 14.21% |
| Office Equipment & Services | 14 | 22.91% | 19.70% | 17.33% | 19.83% | 17.05% | 15.00% | 20.69% |
| Oil/Gas (Integrated) | 4 | 17.50% | 17.38% | 17.26% | 13.09% | 13.00% | 12.90% | 8.43% |
| Oil/Gas (Production and Exploration) | 147 | 20.26% | 20.06% | 20.04% | 18.82% | 18.64% | 18.62% | 5.53% |
| Oil/Gas Distribution | 24 | 14.03% | 13.91% | 13.91% | 12.28% | 12.18% | 12.18% | 8.27% |
| Oilfield Svcs/Equip. | 97 | 16.52% | 16.19% | 15.80% | 15.02% | 14.72% | 14.37% | 13.37% |
| Packaging & Container | 22 | 18.08% | 17.41% | 16.90% | 15.50% | 14.92% | 14.49% | 19.06% |
| Paper/Forest Products | 6 | 26.21% | 25.51% | 25.43% | 20.00% | 19.46% | 19.42% | 16.86% |
| Power | 48 | 7.60% | 7.48% | 7.47% | 6.68% | 6.57% | 6.56% | 6.52% |
| Precious Metals | 60 | 13.42% | 13.40% | 13.19% | 13.16% | 13.13% | 12.93% | 5.93% |
| Publishing & Newspapers | 19 | 22.74% | 18.57% | 17.20% | 20.52% | 16.75% | 15.53% | 14.53% |
| R.E.I.T. | 192 | 3.59% | 3.15% | 3.15% | 3.52% | 3.09% | 3.09% | 2.97% |
| Real Estate (Development) | 15 | 4.29% | 3.83% | 3.83% | 4.18% | 3.73% | 3.73% | 3.01% |
| Real Estate (General/Diversified) | 11 | 4.38% | 4.20% | 4.20% | 4.14% | 3.97% | 3.97% | 6.03% |
| Real Estate (Operations & Services) | 60 | 3.72% | 3.13% | 2.99% | 3.56% | 2.99% | 2.88% | 10.00% |
| Recreation | 50 | 15.53% | 9.67% | 8.58% | 14.39% | 8.96% | 7.95% | 13.88% |
| Reinsurance | 1 | 12.44% | 12.38% | 12.38% | 9.94% | 9.89% | 9.89% | 12.17% |
| Restaurant/Dining | 62 | 49.36% | 23.01% | 22.36% | 44.99% | 20.97% | 20.39% | 24.38% |
| Retail (Automotive) | 29 | 17.81% | 13.81% | 13.79% | 15.65% | 12.14% | 12.12% | 14.63% |
| Retail (Building Supply) | 13 | 56.59% | 42.75% | 42.02% | 48.86% | 36.91% | 36.28% | 39.83% |
| Retail (Distributors) | 66 | 21.80% | 20.29% | 20.27% | 18.85% | 17.55% | 17.54% | 15.63% |
| Retail (General) | 24 | 29.52% | 21.27% | 14.35% | 24.58% | 17.71% | 11.98% | 15.38% |
| Retail (Grocery and Food) | 17 | 23.87% | 14.34% | 10.99% | 20.70% | 12.44% | 9.25% | 11.84% |
| Retail (REITs) | 28 | 5.36% | 5.06% | 5.06% | 5.30% | 5.00% | 5.00% | 4.55% |
| Retail (Special Lines) | 98 | 47.13% | 19.50% | 19.26% | 43.25% | 17.90% | 17.68% | 23.99% |
| Rubber& Tires | 3 | 6.60% | 6.51% | 5.76% | 6.60% | 6.51% | 5.76% | 11.29% |
| Semiconductor | 63 | 33.48% | 32.77% | 22.02% | 32.08% | 31.39% | 21.14% | 19.92% |
| Semiconductor Equip | 30 | 41.91% | 40.72% | 26.79% | 37.74% | 36.67% | 24.20% | 35.29% |
| Shipbuilding & Marine | 8 | 13.66% | 14.04% | 14.04% | 12.87% | 13.23% | 13.23% | 9.89% |
| Shoe | 12 | 39.56% | 32.98% | 32.74% | 35.18% | 29.33% | 29.12% | 31.42% |
| Software (Entertainment) | 81 | 49.73% | 44.93% | 27.04% | 46.39% | 41.91% | 25.29% | 26.34% |
| Software (Internet) | 29 | 1.79% | 2.53% | 2.96% | 1.75% | 2.47% | 2.93% | 7.88% |
| Software (System & Application) | 333 | 55.56% | 49.31% | 28.05% | 53.10% | 47.12% | 26.85% | 29.11% |
| Steel | 27 | 14.44% | 14.18% | 14.16% | 12.74% | 12.51% | 12.49% | 15.51% |
| Telecom (Wireless) | 11 | 12.67% | 9.76% | 9.76% | 10.78% | 8.31% | 8.31% | 6.95% |
| Telecom. Equipment | 61 | 50.99% | 47.50% | 22.73% | 48.77% | 45.44% | 21.77% | 34.28% |
| Telecom. Services | 32 | 13.33% | 12.25% | 12.13% | 12.84% | 11.80% | 11.69% | 16.79% |
| Tobacco | 12 | 72.47% | 71.29% | 66.17% | 63.41% | 62.38% | 57.90% | 73.43% |
| Transportation | 21 | 16.82% | 13.42% | 12.38% | 14.82% | 11.82% | 10.90% | 17.25% |
| Transportation (Railroads) | 4 | 18.71% | 18.18% | 18.18% | 15.50% | 15.06% | 15.06% | 18.76% |
| Trucking | 24 | 12.22% | 11.92% | 11.48% | 9.95% | 9.70% | 9.30% | 15.00% |
| Utility (General) | 14 | 6.89% | 6.78% | 6.78% | 6.15% | 6.05% | 6.05% | 6.94% |
| Utility (Water) | 15 | 7.89% | 7.85% | 7.85% | 7.00% | 6.95% | 6.96% | 7.11% |
| Total Market | 6062 | 10.66% | 10.14% | 9.47% | 9.80% | 9.32% | 8.73% | 7.64% |
| Total Market (without financials) | 4935 | 20.24% | 18.53% | 16.07% | 18.87% | 17.28% | 15.01% | 14.88% |
Last updated January 2025
By Aswath Damodaran