Which has grown faster, NSC or RKLB?

Over the past five years, RKLB grew revenue faster — NSC at a 4.45% CAGR versus RKLB at 67.26%.

Does NSC or RKLB pay a bigger dividend?

NSC pays a dividend (1.72% yield) while RKLB does not currently pay one.

Is NSC or RKLB more profitable?

NSC runs the higher net margin — NSC at 21.91% versus RKLB at -26.87%.

Which has been the better investment, NSC or RKLB?

Over the past 5-year, RKLB delivered the higher annualized total return — NSC at 16.41% versus RKLB at 57.75%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) vs Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (RKLB)

NSC leads on 7 of 9 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Norfolk Southern Corporation and Rocket Lab USA, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 14, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

NSC

Norfolk Southern Corporation

Total return — NSC vs RKLB

growth of $100 · last 6y

NSC +29.4%RKLB +950.8%RKLB compounded faster

Log scale — wide-divergence pair

NSC RKLB

NSC vs RKLB: by the numbers

•NSC is the larger company ($70.50B vs $59.27B market cap).
•NSC is profitable (21.91% net margin) while RKLB runs a net loss (-26.87%).
•RKLB grew revenue faster over the past five years (67.26% vs 4.45% CAGR).
•NSC pays a dividend (1.72% yield) while RKLB does not currently pay one.

Which is better, NSC or RKLB?

Metric tally: NSC 7 · RKLB 2

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

GrowthRKLB(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

QualityNSC(higher ROIC)

Valuation

Metric	NSC	RKLB
P/E ratio	26.45	—
Forward P/E	23.20	—
P/S ratio	5.80●	91.22
P/B ratio	4.47●	27.38
PEG ratio	2.24	—
EV / EBITDA	15.65	—
FCF yield	5.41%	—

Profitability

Metric	NSC	RKLB
Gross margin	45.31%●	36.56%
Operating margin	32.39%●	-33.20%
Net margin	21.91%●	-26.87%
ROE	16.89%●	-8.06%
ROIC	7.47%●	-10.09%

Dividends

Metric	NSC	RKLB
Dividend yield	1.72%	—
Payout ratio	42.35%	—

Growth (annualized)

Metric	NSC	RKLB
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	4.45%	67.26%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)	10.10%	—
FCF CAGR (5Y)	10.65%	—
Total return CAGR (5Y)	5.11%	57.75%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, NSC or RKLB?: It depends on your goal. growth: RKLB (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); quality: NSC (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, NSC leads 7 to 2.
Which has grown faster, NSC or RKLB?: Over the past five years, RKLB grew revenue faster — NSC at a 4.45% CAGR versus RKLB at 67.26%.
Does NSC or RKLB pay a bigger dividend?: NSC pays a dividend (1.72% yield) while RKLB does not currently pay one.
Is NSC or RKLB more profitable?: NSC runs the higher net margin — NSC at 21.91% versus RKLB at -26.87%.
Which has been the better investment, NSC or RKLB?: Over the past 5-year, RKLB delivered the higher annualized total return — NSC at 16.41% versus RKLB at 57.75%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full NSC analysis Full RKLB analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Norfolk Southern P/E ratio Rocket Lab USA P/E ratio Norfolk Southern dividend yield Rocket Lab USA dividend yield Norfolk Southern ROE Rocket Lab USA ROE Norfolk Southern operating margin Rocket Lab USA operating margin Norfolk Southern revenue growth Rocket Lab USA revenue growth Norfolk Southern free cash flow Rocket Lab USA free cash flow

Norfolk Southern & Rocket Lab USA appear in these rankings

Fastest Revenue Growth Stocks Highest Operating Margin Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks Best 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 14, 2026.