Return on assets
Profit as a percentage of everything the company owns.
Return on assets measures profit against the whole balance sheet, however it is financed, so borrowing cannot flatter it the way it flatters ROE. Banks earn around 1% on assets; asset-light software companies can earn 20% or more.
Return on assets (ROA) across the S&P 500 today
497 companies with a meaningful value, as of Oct 11, 2026.
Highest in the S&P 500
| Western Digital Corporation WDC | 68.0% |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA Corporation NVDA | 60.2% |
| Applovin Corp APP | 53.3% |
| Sandisk Corp SNDK | 50.8% |
| VeriSign Inc VRSN | 47.1% |
| Micron Technology Inc MU | 43.4% |
| Fair Isaac Corporation FICO | 40.0% |
| Domino's Pizza Inc Common Stock DPZ | 34.1% |
| Apple Inc AAPL | 33.6% |
| IDEXX Laboratories Inc IDXX | 33.1% |
Lowest in the S&P 500
| Lumentum Holdings Inc LITE | -94.9% |
|---|---|
| Moderna Inc MRNA | -28.8% |
| Paramount Skydance Corporation Class B Common Stock PSKY | -13.9% |
| International Paper IP | -9.4% |
| Gilead Sciences Inc GILD | -6.6% |
| Centene Corp CNC | -6.1% |
| Intel Corporation INTC | -5.6% |
| Baxter International Inc BAX | -5.4% |
| Dow Inc DOW | -4.7% |
| Kraft Heinz Co KHC | -4.7% |
Median return on assets (ROA) by sector
S&P 500 companies only. Sectors differ a lot, so compare a company with its own sector first.
| Sector | Median | Companies |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | 9.7% | 85 |
| Consumer Cyclical | 9.4% | 51 |
| Industrials | 8.4% | 74 |
| Consumer Defensive | 7.8% | 30 |
| Basic Materials | 7.2% | 15 |
| Energy | 7.0% | 21 |
| Healthcare | 6.2% | 56 |
| Communication Services | 4.6% | 20 |
| Real Estate | 3.5% | 28 |
| Utilities | 2.6% | 31 |
| Financial Services | 2.3% | 69 |
Questions
What is Return on assets (ROA)?
Profit as a percentage of everything the company owns.
How is Return on assets (ROA) calculated?
ROA = net income ÷ total assets.
What is a normal return on assets (ROA)?
Across 497 S&P 500 companies, the median is 6.2%; the middle half sits between 2.9% and 10.9%. It varies a lot by sector.
Related terms
Live figures from the latest prices and SEC filings. Information only, not investment advice. Updated October 9, 2026.